Day of Disaster
by Queen000
Summary: The day that would soon decide the fate of the world is upon us. When the evidence of a murder leads to the man who once saved the world from Ultimecia, will it bring about a war that could rival that of Adel's reign?
1. 1st Hour

**Author's Note**: _This is something that I felt I should share with all of those who choose to read this story. Please don't just skip to the beginning of the first chapter, as I took the time to write this, and I want you all to take the time to read it. Thank you in advance.

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I first came to this site because one of my friends told me that I should actually post some of my ideas on this site. I have been writing short stories and the like since I was about 5 years old, and stopped briefly when I aspired to enter the Law field. When that flopped, I returned to the one thing that I had loved since I was a kid; which was writing short stories. As I continued to write, I found myself disgusted with the quality of my writing ability, which included sentence structures, description of places and people and, possibly the worst characteristic of my previous writing tendencies, to create an original character, which did not make me want to puke my guts out. It has been over three years now since I first joined this fanfiction site, and I have to admit that my writing capability has grown.

When I first came to Fanfiction. Net, I started out as a DragonBall Z fanfiction writer (thus my Penname). I bent and willed the characters to my every disposal, trying to create a piece of writing that would warrant good reviews. Of course, back then I wrote strictly for review, I'll admit that much, and, as far as I'm concerned, anyone who says they'd continue writing and posting if they had no reviews are lying. Yeah, they might continue to write, but eventually they would just give up because no one is reading their work. No one is giving them any indication whatsoever that they like what they are reading and they're not giving any encouragement whatsoever. I wrote a couple of stories, and many people reviewed them and told me how wonderfully written they were. I was so happy and began branching off those stories, creating a sequel and even a prequel in one of them.

Since I began writing Final Fantasy 8 Fanfiction, I began to improve even more. I even tried starting to write detailed fight scenes, and I had to admit, they weren't half bad, compared to some of my other attempts: 'and they disappeared within a flurry of punches and kicks until one of them was knocked out of the air and into a nearby wall'. Nothing very artistic about that, now is it? But yeah, I finally got out of that old habit and continued to expand on my creative break, and eventually, I did the one thing that I had always believe would never happen; I created a character from scratch that is both believable, and yet original. He is currently the antagonist in my story 'The Past is Back', which portrays a lot of my improvement.

Now, I do believe that since I have been able to tend to my flaws and improve on the aspects of writing that I have improved on, I am finally ready to tackle the first story of Final Fantasy 8 that I really wanted to write. Of course, the plot is going to be very different, but I hope that everyone likes it all the same.

So for those of you who have been waiting patiently, here it is again; 'Day of Disaster' formally known as '24', only it's bigger and it's far better than it was previously! I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations and please remember to review at the end.

Also, if anyone has any idea whatsoever for a better title for this story, please let me know. When it comes to naming a story, I either fluke it or the title is just too horrible beyond words. Thank you in advance.

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy. I do however own the Griever chain and ring. Anything that does not come from the game that enters this story is of my own creation. But feel free to rip it off, just so long as you send the credit my way.

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**Important Note**: The time that is displayed at the beginning of each chapter is Esthar's Time. The time at every other place besides Esthar will be mentioned at any given point. Hopefully, this will not confuse anyone.

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**The following takes place between 2 a.m. and ****3 a.m.

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**

The cool autumn breeze flew past the desolate buildings of the business district of Esthar City. For once, the night was quiet; a welcome change from the chaotic sounds of monster attacks and hectic soldiers and SeeDs alike trying to diverge their attention and exterminate them. Children were sleeping soundlessly, excluding the occasional wake up call to visit the facilities or to get a glass of water before wandering back to their beds. Those who had work or other engagements for the following day were also sleeping peacefully, without worry of suddenly catching sight of an Imp wandering around their kitchens and blasting utilities to kindling.

The ones who were not asleep where busy working at the Presidential Residence, making sure the government as well as the country was run as smoothly as humanly possible. Documents were frequently being filed after having been typed up and signed by the President of Esthar, the lawyers of the city were quickly looking upon cases that had been handed to them by the courts, and the guards and soldiers were making their rounds, as they normally would. The number of soldiers stationed to guard duty, however, had been drastically decreased since the decrease of monster activity within the city. People were finally beginning to feel as though everything was returning to the way things were before Ultimecia's attack.

Four months had passed by. Four months since the end of the war and the beginning of the rebuilding of society had been initiated. The worst part about their enemy being a Sorceress who came from the future was the fact that she was from the future, so they couldn't force her to clean up the messes that she had caused. Thus, the task had been bestowed upon the citizens of the world who were currently living in such disarray. It helped that the people were willing to help make their lives prosperous once again; cleaning off debris and doing the best of their ability to restore order and calm. Of course, it also helped that the government of not only the country needing assistance, but also that the governments of other countries were willing to do their part as well. SeeD had especially been helpful with the looming monsters within the cities and villages, herding them all together before either re-locating them to places that they would do no harm in, or wiping them out. Galbadia, Balamb, Trabia, and Esthar were currently freed of any remaining creatures that could potentially cause a threat to humankind as well as their civilization. Buildings had been restored to their orderly fashion, and operations had come into existence to ensure that nothing like the two Sorceress' Wars ever occurred again.

The world had even begun to create somewhat of a world order that would ensure world peace for the future; preventing war and other such things from re-occurring once more. SeeD had personally taken the job as peacekeepers, and as such, they would step in to prevent any situation from extending further into the brink of a war that would probably destroy them all in the end. A legislative body was selected to represent each country, of which were made up of groups of three to further represent the people's voices and so far, the building of this selective group was progressing quite nicely. It would be another month yet before the organization of such a group was finalized, but in the meantime, it appeared as though the people were finally ready to put aside such differences and actually work together for a peaceful existence.

Because of the lesser need for soldiers to be stationed around the city, in order to prevent any further monster attacks from occurring, security had proven to become lighter. Soldiers who normally patrolled the city streets in search of something out of the ordinary had scaled down to a comfortable party of three rather than the looming group of ten or twelve that had become much of a bothersome habit. The number of guards standing guard and patrolling the perimeter of the Presidential Residence had decreased as well, the number five replacing the number fifty. Each soldier was to take three hours to circle and watch over the perimeter before another member of their team relieved them.

Currently, one lone soldier stood in front of the entrance to the Presidential Residence. He was dressed in the same military dress as his comrades; a silver and purple uniform with camouflage enhancers, which also served as protective chest armour and a helmet, shaped like a bug's head with antennae, which enhanced tele-communicational capabilities. Of course, it appeared as though it was more for decoration, which was exactly how the Estharian army would deceive their Galbadian enemies. Their main weapon was an axe gun; an axe grafted onto a miniature shotgun. The axe was detachable, and served well as a boomerang. It was the same colour as the uniforms, and possessed camouflage capabilities as well, so as not to stand out while on a stealth mission. The axe gun was not the only weapon of their arsenal. They also possessed grenades, which were kept regularly strapped onto their belts, as well as a small broadsword to fend off enemies at close range quarters. A combat knife was secured inside of his boot just in case he lost his weapon, and another was hidden up in the sleeve covering his right arm.

The soldiers of Esthar have, for a long while, served as both law enforcement agents and military officials. This was the case because the training that came with becoming a member of the Estharian military also credited to the safety of the civilians within the area. They were much like SeeD when it came to an operation; hurt the target and keep as many innocents safe as possible. Because of this, it wasn't uncommon to spot an officer helping an elderly person, or assisting parents in bringing their children to school.

The lone soldier stood at the ready, waiting for orders to move his position towards the east wing of the Presidential Residence, and just watching out for anything out of the ordinary. Mack Daniels sighed as he continued to keep watch, adjusting the holster holding his gun and checking his sleeves just in case the knife had dropped out, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Satisfied, he leveled his eyes and scanned the area in his direct line of vision. He had promised his fiancé that he would quit the late night patrols, but he also wanted to make their upcoming wedding day special. After all, her previous husband had been a wealthy executive, and made their wedding an extravagant event. Compared to that, Mack understood that he wasn't even a runner up, and some days he wondered why she even accepted the proposal from a less than average joe like himself. But he was grateful nonetheless and he was prepared to spend as many nights keeping an eye on the perimeter or any other demeaning task he had to in order to make that day something to remember.

Snapping out of his revere, he leveled his weapon as soon as he detected movement from his night vision visor, and realized that the intruder was heading straight towards him. The person before him appeared to be a short male, with dark hair and light eyes. He was also dressed completely in black, and probably would have remained un-detected had Mack not turned on his visor when he first came on duty. Frowning slightly underneath the helmet, Mack took a deep breath and slowly approached the man, his weapon still raised. "The Presidential Residence is off limits. Please make an appointment with the general secretary in the morning. Just go home and get some sleep."

The man merely stopped his pace when he reached a few meters away from the soldier, and raised his arms in a peaceful gesture. "Sorry to bother you," he said after a moment. "But I have some pressing matters to deal with inside. its business, and I wouldn't normally be here if it could wait until the morning."

As soon as the man before him began to speak, Mack's weapon was already lowered to the side. He immediately recognized the voice and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't anyone potentially dangerous. "Oh, sorry about the mix up, sir." Mack quickly said, replacing his weapon to his side. "I didn't realize that it was you. Those mechanics can make camouflage equipment unlike anyone else, but they can't seem to make night vision goggles that can identify someone upon looking at 'em. You just looked like a green blur to me."

The man nodded in response to the apology, but said nothing else as Mack personally escorted him towards the buildings' front. "Please, right this way. I think everyone is still awake in there. Working on some last minute preparations for the united confederation. I don't think it'll be a problem for you to get your business done with. Good luck with that, by the way."

Once again, the man nodded and sat down on the telepod positioned just outside of the Presidential Residence. It was a small circular object, which was painted silver and white to contrast the buildings exterior, and could fit three people on it. The man leaned forward, resting his chin on his enclosed hands as the telepod took the visitor into the Residence. Mack waved him on and returned to his post.

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**_02:10:30_**

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As soon as the telepod stopped at the first level of the building, the man rose from his seated position and took this moment to look around. The interior was even more impressive than the exterior, as he had seen many times before and it never ceased to amaze him how extravagant everything seemed. The ceiling itself had to have been at least 10 feet taller than himself, rounded up in an arching formation with a large circular lamp sitting in the very center. Surrounding that light in a circular pattern were a group of smaller lights, seemingly apart of the ceiling itself. Paintings on the wall gave off a homier atmosphere and almost made him believe he had come to the wrong building. A desk was positioned at the far end of the room, meant for the secretary that usually was stationed to meet with the visitors, but she seemed to have stepped out for the night, as the lights surrounding the desk were turned off. The lights surrounding the man had only turned on automatically because the mechanical mechanisms built within them alerted the light fixtures that there was movement within the room. 

As the man continued further into the room, the lights that he passed by turned off after a few moments of no motion. He figured that they would have done this, having already been told about the automated lights that would activate after hours. Within a few moments, he had already approached the desk and turned on the computer to his left, his gloved hands flying over the keyboard as if they were possessed. The computer was a flat screen model computer, with a holographic appearance, and the information seemed to literally jump out at the reader. The man quickly searched through document after document, searching for something specific before he finally found what he was looking for. Skimming the contents for a moment, he found the floor that appeared to have some relevance to the information and quickly turned off the computer.

Walking through the double-doors positioned to the left of the secretary's desk, he approached the elevator directly in front of him, after giving an acknowledging nod to the security guards stationed just outside of the mechanical box, and entered. As soon as the doors closed behind him, he pressed the button that would lead him to the 64th floor. According to his sources, the people he was looking for were located on that floor, and a few others were scattered around the surrounding floors nearby, mostly scaling upwards. The information he had found gave him valuable insight on where they were and how long they were scheduled to be there until. He quickly check his watch, of which had been adjusted to read in Estharian time. It was already quarter after two. He was running a little behind schedule, and he had to make up for lost time quickly.

When the elevator signaled that he had reached his destination, he quickly exited the mechanical box, looking back to see a few more workers filing in, probably having checked out and were on their way to their homes. A quick inspection revealed that they were not any of the people he was looking form and he continued on his way. Searching the rooms as he passed, he noted that everyone seemed particularly busy with the progress on the World Confederation. Each room he passed seemed to be crawling with people chatting and working on the final preparations for the group. Even though he knew that it would take a month to complete, he figured that the Estharians appeared to be far smarter than he credited them to be.

Finally, he came to a room with just one occupant, and it appeared as though it was one of the men he was looking for. The man was seated at his computer terminal, typing quickly as he eyes remained glued onto the computer screen, never once leaving the flat surface for a moment. He appeared to be a middle-aged male, his hair graying out at the sides, but the top remaining a lighter brown colour. His brown eyes did not leave the screen he was looking at, and he was dressed in a brown vest with a pair of brown slacks and loafers. A white shirt stuck out from underneath the vest, as did his lavender coloured tie.

The simple fact that the elder man was busy made things easier for him. Pulling on a black toque-like mask, he made sure that it was secured before he quickly entered the room, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could. Just before he could make a move, however, he noticed the man before him straighten up in his seat, which signaled that he had heard his entry. "Emily? I thought you said you were going home for the night?"

Before he could answer, however, the elder man shrugged just after he finished asking his question. "Oh, nevermind. Could you do me a small favour? Get me a refill of my coffee, won't you? I seem to have finished off the last in my mug."

The man looked over towards the desk and recognized the white coffee mug sitting near the edge of the desk. He made no move to move over to it, however, instead slowly walking towards him.

"Emily?" The man asked again. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you," The man said, as soon as he was standing behind him. "But I'm not Emily."

The man at the computer jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and slowly turned around to face the man. His curious expression changed to one of shock as he quickly jumped out of his seat and backed away from him. "Who are you? And what are you doing here? Security shouldn't have allowed you entry."

"You really can't get good help these days, now can you?" The man said, grabbing a hold of the coffee mug, examining it for a moment.

"What do you want?" The middle-aged man asked, circling over towards his desk.

"We have some business that needs to be concluded, of course." The man said. He noted exactly where the worker was going and leapt over the desk, blocking his path. "Don't bother going to your desk or calling security. You need to stay quiet."

The executive stared at him in shock before backing up towards the only exit. This time, the man kicked the desk so that it landed in at the door, blocking it from opening. The man, in an attempt to avoid running into the desk, managed to slip backwards and landed inside of the bookshelf. "Don't hurt me…I don't even know who you are! What sort of business would I have with you?"

The man began the task of tossing the coffee mug up into the air as he looked around the cluttered office. Papers were stacked everywhere, and the ones that had sat upon the desk had been blown off in a miniature hurricane. "Oh, trust me. We have some business. Just because you don't know be doesn't mean that there's no significance in our meeting."

The in-prisoned man could only watch as his coffee mug was being tossed up and down in the air. He refused to move this time, lest he become the target of this mans' unruly strength. Suddenly, the man missed the mug and watched almost apathetically as it crashed into the ground with a small crack. Pieces of the mug broke apart on the carpet, most of them bigger pieces.

"Oops…" the man said apathetically. "I missed."

"What is it that you want with me?"

Sighing, the man bent over to pick at the shards of broken glass. "I never would have thought they allowed deaf men to work in an area that calls for attentive behaviour. I already told you, we have business that needs to be concluded." He picked up one of the shards as he made his way over towards the prisoner.

"What kind of business?" The man asked, eyeing the broken shard. "Please don't hurt me!"

"By all means." The man said, stopping just in front of the man. "Trust me, sir. This isn't going to hurt for too long." With that, he gripped the broken shard tightly in his Hand as he grabbed a hold of the whimpering man by the hair. Holding him up by inhuman strength, he turned him so that his back was facing him before slitting the businessman's throat from the bottom of one ear lobe to the other.

Letting go of what would soon be a bleeding corpse, the man headed straight towards the window, opening it up and stepping out into the cool autumn air as he did. Closing the window behind him, he headed towards another window, breaking the window in one easy punch and climbing inside of the room within. It appeared as though he had broken into a storage closet, which was just fine with him. Pulling his watch into view, he realized that that had taken a little longer than he had expected. Sure, he was told to make them suffer before they died, but he didn't want to waste any time whatsoever on taking his time. The next one on his hit list would have to die far faster than the previous man.

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Denise Williams was just coming back from grabbing another cup of coffee. Two creams and three sugars. That's how she normally took it. She was a newly hired intern, having graduated from the prestigious Willows Academy with high honours. She had applied for the job merely a month after graduation and had been hired a week after. She was a brunette with tanned skin and dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a purple work suit; a purple vest and a purple skirt set with a pair of black dress shoes and a plum coloured shirt underneath the vest. Dark stockings clung to her legs as she walked throughout the hallway, cup of coffee in her left hand as she read the files that she had brought along with her. The business apparel was only validated when working within on a serious assignment, and unless that requirement was fulfilled, all workers were required to dress appropriately in the Estharian Robes. Denise had come to this understanding when she had begun work on her current project and couldn't work with the robes longs sleeves. With the finalizing of the World Confederation, she couldn't leave her work for more that 10 seconds and she was already working overtime. 

Turning the corner, she suddenly heard the sound of something being pushed up against the door. Frowning to herself, she walked in the direction of where the sound was coming from, holding the manila folder at her side as she took a sip of her coffee, being as quiet as humanly possible. As she continued down the hall, she could barely make out the sounds of a couple of people talking. Further investigation revealed that it was coming from Mr. Hector Douglass' office. Denise slowly approached the door and rested her head against it, trying to listen in on what was going on. She could make out the sounds of someone whimpering, and the sound of someone else in the room, but when she tried to open the door, she realized that something was blocking the way. Just as she was about to ram the door open, she heard Mr. Douglass begging his visitor not to hurt him and then nothing.

Backing away for a moment, she tried to process in her mind exactly what that meant. It could have meant many things; for instance, Mr. Douglass had been knocked unconscious by whoever else was in the room, or maybe the intruder knew that he was being heard and was keeping Mr. Douglass quiet. There was another possibility, but Denise refused to allow that thought to come to mind. Instead, she took a deep shaking breath and rushed the door, her left shoulder lowered in front of her and she charged into the door, hoping that maybe she could bust it open. Her coffee mug and papers were instantly forgotten and there now lay a puddle of the warm dark liquid on the floor. Luckily, her papers had been dropped behind her, so they were not matted in the beverage. Backing up momentarily, she repeated the procedure, mentally thanking the University for having a Girls football team.

After quite a few tries, she was finally able to push away whatever it was blocking the door. Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough and ended up falling onto the ground on her left shoulder. Groaning in pain, she looked aside and realized that adrenaline must have helped her push open the door since a desk had been positioned to block any entry. Sitting up, she rubbed at her arm, wincing audibly as she realized that she was going to have a big bruise in the morning. As she rubbed her arm, she noted with dread that there was some sort of liquid soaking into the fabric of her outfit. Pulling her right arm in front of herself, she realized that the substance on her hand was blood.

As Denise looked around for something to wipe the blood off her hand, she turned to the direction of the bookshelf and screamed when she saw the dead body of Mr. Hector Douglass staring back at her, a clean cut from ear to ear through his neck.

* * *

James Logans quickly made his way towards the Presidential Office, never missing a step as he could hear his blood pounding in his ears. Not more than ten minutes prior did they tend to the body of Hector Douglass before it was discovered that three more employees had fallen to the same fate; one having been strangled to death while the other's neck had been broken. 

As he turned the corner, he tapped the earpiece that sat in his left ear. James was a dark skinned male, dressed in a black suit, with a white dress shirt underneath and a black tie done up around his neck. Securely fashioned onto his belt were a couple of 9.mm pistols and a hand held .6mm revolver sat snugly in the holster that rested inside of his shoe. He wore black sunglasses, despite the fact that it was dark outside, but programmed inside of them was a heat sensor that could sense anyone within a 20-meter radius. Also, the sunglass had installed inside of the lens a micro lens camera, which could perform one of two operations; one, to record his surroundings instantly and another to see through the eyes of the surveillance cameras within the building. A small button on the left recorded the surroundings while two on the right could control which camera's he was seeing through.

The earpiece in his ear connected to the men he was contacting, and the familiar voice of his partner acknowledging him sounded in his ear. "Deilia, I'm almost at the President's office. Do you have any further information since the murders were first discovered?"

"Negative James." The female voice answered back. "We're still on pursuit. The soldiers on the perimeter have been warned about the intruder, and a few hundred more soldiers are on the lookout for him."

"Alright. Standing by for further information."

"Be on the ready. We might find something."

James cut the transmission short as he walked past the Estharian Soldiers standing guard in front of the Presidential Office. He didn't even offer them a salute as he just stormed in through the sliding doors, neither Soldier budging from their post as he addressed the man seated behind three large stacks of papers. "Sir!"

The President nearly jumped out of his skin, as the room had been dead silent before James' sudden entry. He put aside his reading glasses, apparently having recognized his head of Security and rose to his feet, trying to look over the hulking stacks of paperwork to at least give the man proper eye contact. After a moment, the President merely grabbed a hold of the middle stack of papers and moved them over towards a nearby desk before returning to his seat.

The president had long dark hair that normally reached past his shoulders had it not been constantly pulled back into a messy ponytail. The shorter strands of hair that could not be kept at bay by the elastic band sat stubbornly in front of his green eyes. He was dressed a tad more professionally than he normally would have been; a white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks and dress shoes. The sleeves of his shirt, however, were rolled up to his elbows, since the cuflings that would normally have reached his wrists had begun to bother him during the procession of his work. "What is it?" asked Laguna Loire, as he shifted in his seat for a moment.

"One of the workers working on the World Confederations project just found one of her colleagues murdered in his own office." James stated, quickly saluting the President before giving his report. By the time our men were able to arrive on the scene, we were informed that three more people had been killed as well."

"How long ago did this happen?" Laguna asked, leaning forward on his desk, his hands clasped together and his expression serious.

"According to the worker, she found Mr. Hector Douglass dead in his office ten minutes ago, and she heard voices in his office prior to that."

"Someone was murdered ten minutes ago and you're only telling me this now?" Laguna rubbed the bridge of his nose before taking in a deep breath. "And how long ago did the other murders occur?"

"Somewhere between the time we were called and now." James answered. "My men are busy guarding the area where the deaths occurred and have restricted access to the floors from 60 and above. Also, the soldiers within the building have been put on alert and are patrolling the perimeter as we speak. Whoever the intruder is, he's not getting away."

Laguna nodded, seemingly more to himself than to anyone else. "Good. I want your men to keep a close eye on everything and to study the surveillance tapes that recorded everything that had to do with the floor the murder took place on within the last half hour, just to be safe."

James nodded and saluted before turning around and exited the office. He relayed the message through the earpiece and frowned to himself as he entered the elevator. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to be resolved any time soon.

* * *

Jack Anderson was just putting together his portfolio that would pertain to the information that would be necessary at the next presentation of the World Confederation. He had already been there more than twelve hours, but it wasn't like he had anyone to return to. He had no significant other, and all he returned to was his home in the Eastern Sector of the city, where he could stay up all night and listen to his roommate have phone sex with some hotline all night long. He didn't mind the government job; in fact, he preferred it to his social life, but all he really wanted to do was settle in for the night. The only reason why his roommate wasn't out on the street was the guy was his younger brother and he had nowhere else to go. 

The man was nearing his fifties, and was looking forward to retirement, even if it meant he was stuck at home all day. He already had a plan that he was willing to see to the end. He had a nice little summer home paid for near the Mandy Beach around the Timber Area, and, despite the fact that it was Galbadian ground, he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his days near a beach. He had graying dark hair that, no matter how many times he tried to colour it, would always grey out no matter what he did. He wasn't a very large man, but he wasn't small either, barely reaching six feet in height and dressed in a beige dress outfit.

Sighing as he replaced the last of his work in the filing cabinet of his office, he grabbed a hold of his jacket and car keys before heading towards the door when a creaking sound was heard. Jumping at the noise, he quickly turned around to see what made the noise and sighed in relief when he discovered that it was just his imagination. The alert had been sounded an under 15 minutes ago that four people had been killed while working, and he couldn't help but worry about his own wellbeing. Many of his colleagues had chosen to take the rest of the night off, and he figured that he would follow suit.

Shrugging, he turned to make his exit, only to find a man in black standing between him and the door. Jack jumped backwards, dropping his jacket and keys and clutching at his chest.

The man in black merely looked at his fingernails before turning to glare at Jack. "What's the matter, Jack? You're a tad jumpy tonight."

Jack backed up until he suddenly hit his desk. He looked behind him to see what he bumped into and immediately turned to look at the intruder. "How do you know my name?"

"You're somewhat of a celebrity, Jack." The man answered, closing the door behind him. "But idle chit chat isn't why I'm here really. I have an operation that I need to see to. Time to say good night, Mr. Anderson."

Before the man in black could take a step closer, he noticed Jack make a move for something attached to his belt and an instant later, was forced to duck as three bullets were fired from the firearm that the man held.

Jack frowned as he prepared the shoot his attacker again. "Good night." He said before firing once more.

The man in black was faster than he was though, and by the time he had fired the shot, a blade was lodged into the man's gut. Jack spat out blood as his killer turned the blade around, twisting together his insides and the victim tried to breathe his last breath. Slumping backwards into the desk, Jacks eyes focused up towards the ceiling, wondering why it was that Hyne was so cruel.

The man stood over the dead body of Jack Anderson, contemplating his next victim, that is until the door suddenly burst open and at least four Estharian Soldiers stood in the doorway. "Freeze!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Figuring that his job was done, at least for the moment, he stepped over the dead body before jumping up onto the desk and crashing out of the window, shattering glass in the process. The soldiers spread out, two on either side as another soldier entered the room to tend to the dead man. One of the soldiers signaled to his comrades, counting backwards from three before they all raised their firearms and looked out the window. However, when they looked, there was no trace of him whatsoever. They looked all around the surrounding area, even chancing a look down, but did not even find a hint that the man was even there.

The leader of the group of five Soldiers activated his communicator, patching in to the guards stationed on the ground. "Be on the lookout! The suspect just jumped out of the window of the 66th floor. There should be a body around the 5th sector on the West Side."

There was silence for a moment and each soldier held their breath in anticipation before someone finally answered back. "This is the Perimeter team. I have just reached the co-ordinates, we are currently standing underneath your location, but there is no body in sight."

The soldiers exchanged glances with one another before the leader spoke again. "That's impossible. Only Estharians have that kind of technology, and only members of the military are sanctioned to use it. There should be a body down there."

"I don't see a body down here." Was the response.

Frowning, the leader switched the destination of his contact to the chief of Security. Once the man picked up, the leader frowned as he said the words that he dreaded speaking. "The suspect has somehow managed to disappear."

* * *

**_02:40:55_**

* * *

James returned to the Presidential Office, preparing to give out his latest report. He knew the President wasn't going to be happy about this, but he also understood that he had a job to do. If he kept this kind of information from his superiour, then not only could he be indited for withholding information, but the killer could appear at any given time and strike again, this time killing an innocent civilian. 

_It still doesn't make my job any easier_.James thought to himself as once again he entered the room. Laguna immediate rose to his feet upon hearing the doors open and James saluted the President immediately there after. "Sir, I'm afraid that the suspect escaped. He jumped out of a window on the 66th floor after murdering another man, Jack Anderson, but, according to the soldiers who were pursuing him, he disappeared as soon as he jumped."

"Did any of the ground teams see him?" Laguna asked.

"I'm afraid not, sir." James answered. "It was as if he disappeared into thin air. Under our understanding, only our people are able to use camouflage technology, so it shouldn't have been possible."

Laguna frowned as he sank back into his chair. "And no one has any idea who this person is?"

James shook his head in response and Laguna sighed. "We were too relaxed. Just because the Sorceress' War is over doesn't give us the right to take things too lightly. Because of that, 5 people are now dead."

Before James could respond, the intercom on Laguna's desk sounded, and the President pressed a button just below it. "What is it?" He asked.

"Sir," came the voice of James' partner, Deilia Oakwood. "We have just received information that might prove beneficial to this investigation."

"We're all ears." Laguna said.

"First off, we have the murder weapon that was used to kill Mr. Anderson. We're holding it in the evidence room and are preparing to examine it."

"And the other?"

"Sir, we just finished interviewing the Soldiers out at the front gate and one of them just told us something interesting. He says that at around 2 this morning, he spotted a man matching the description of the suspect approaching the building but that he let him in."

"He let in a murderer without confirmation?" James shouted through the intercom.

"That's what we asked him, James, but he says that he recognized the man and allowed him in under the impression he had business with the President."

"And who did the soldier say this man was?" Laguna asked, slightly unnerved by the notion of the murdering using him to receive access within the building.

On the opposite end, Deilia took a deep breath and slowly released it. "The soldier identified the man as Squall Leonhart."

* * *

**The Time is now ****3 a.m.

* * *

**

Wow… that took a lot of research to complete before I could even begin to type up the chapter. Hopefully it was all worth it. I wanted to continue on, but I figured that this is long enough for the first chapter to end. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peptuck and Kaiser for their ideas. Most of them will, of course, be incorporated in this story. If you have any ideas, please feel free to email me your impute. Please don't write them in a review, as someone might see them and it will spoil the entire thing.

I hope some of you have noticed that some of these characters attitudes are based off characters from the actual 24 series, mostly from this current season, which is, sadly coming to an end. Feel free to guess who some of them are in your reviews. In the meantime, please do review, and let me know how you felt about this first chapter. Hopefully I'm doing a good enough job that I can continue this story easily enough.

Also, as some of you may have noticed from reading this chapter (because I am sure that there are plenty of mistakes in it), I do not currently have a beta reader. If you are interested, please tell me in your review, so that I can take a look at a story of yours and I'll definitely let you guys know. But you must all keep in mind that I am Canadian, and because of that fact some words I will more than likely spell differently.


	2. 2nd Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

* * *

The streets of Deling City had never been as quiet as they were that current afternoon. It being one in the afternoon, the citizens of the Galbadian Capital were either working at their day jobs, or recovering from a long night of partying and shopping. The only time the city became alive was during the night; where the lights illuminated the sky and outlined the various places the citizens and tourists would usually spend their time and money having a good time. Normalcy had finally returned to the city after the damning effects of the war had ruined their reputation. Most were still outraged that Esthar had been the one to come to their aid, since of course; the country was their mortal enemies of the last couple of decades at least.

The upcoming World Confederation was a common subject among the citizens; since, as it would stand, the group of peacekeepers would work further to prevent another war from breaking out. They would be the ones responsible for hiring SeeD to put an end to terrorist activities, and everyone could sleep soundly, ignorance blessing them with no knowledge on the matter whatsoever. Of course, this would mean that the Galbadian Army would not be nearly as active as they once were; however, there were still jobs out for them when they were finally off duty. The President of Galbadia for one hoped that it would help with the soldiers' disposition at the least.

Strolling just past the gateway towards the train station were six soldiers in total, three in front and the other three in back in a triangular formation. All were dressed in the same military fashion; a blue jumpsuit with metallic coloured armour over their elbows and knees. Metallic coloured boots protected their feet from stepping on pebbles or rocks that could be normally found on the ground, and metallic coloured helmets protected their heads from an attack. There was no military Major or Lieutenant leading them as the normal, but this didn't seem to deter any of the soldiers in the least. Walking in the very center of the group of armed military workers was a lone man with graying dark hair dressed in a simple black navy-blue business suit, a white shirt tucked in underneath with a black tie, and a pair of black loafers.

Several people surrounded their location, but wisely stayed where they were as the man and his team of six continued on their way past them. Of course, the man appeared to be important, and soon after the shock of his arrival wore off, the people returned to their conversations, appearing to wonder just why it was he was wondering about.

As soon as they emerged out from underneath the Gateway, the group of seven continued walking straight ahead. One of the soldiers, who was walking just to the left of the man behind him, turned his head as he asked his question. "How much further would you like to go, sir?"

The man walking behind the first group of three merely smiled and said, "As soon as we reach the Train Station, turn left. Then we'll walk back up through the city streets and return to the Presidential Residence."

The soldier nodded once again before returning his attention to in front of him. Addressing the soldier who was walking a bit in front of him, he told him of the mans' plans and the other soldier acknowledged the order. Meanwhile, hiding within the lush plant life that would have otherwise been foreign to the City of the Night, sat a man dressed in a different assortment of greens. Pulling back his binoculars, he sighed as he switched on the headset that sat upon his head, allocating the targeting frequency and waiting for a moment to come into contact with someone. Soon after, a female voice resounded through the earpieces loud and clear. "What is it?"

"The subject is heading towards the Train station." He answered, speaking in an accent foreign to Galabadian ears. "Most likely, he'll take a left before moving back up again. Then he'll be out of alpha teams' range."

The girl on the other end, whose accent was far more foreign than his was, laughed lightly. "Don't be so high strung." She stated. "There is the bravo team on standby on the other side. I'll just alert them to keep an eye on him. I think they can handle giving the signal, don't you?"

The man frowned in response. "Do you remember the saying, 'if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself'?"

"Yeah, I remember. But with you, it's a way of life."

Rolling his eyes, he turned his attention back to the seven soldiers that were just now walking past his line of vision. Checking his watch, he just realized that it was just after 1 p.m., but that didn't mean that he could just take a lunch break if he wanted to. He had a job to do, and so did all the others that were stationed within the area.

"Hold on." The girl spoke after a moment. "I'm reading movement in your area."

"Is it any of ours?" he asked.

"Negative." She responded. "It looks like it's one of there's."

"Warn Bravo Team that there has been movement on this end and to proceed slowly so as not to give our location away." He ordered quietly. As soon as she acknowledged the order, he switched the signal on his communicator, waiting for the first person on his team to acknowledge him.

Another voice, with nearly the same accent as his, clearly spoke through the sound piece a moment later. "Alpha leader, this is Alpha second, over."

"Keep an eye on the perimeter. We have movement."

"Copy that." Was the response. "All units are standing by."

The man nodded, and pulled back on his binoculars. It looked as though the easy part came into play.

As the man and his escorts continued towards the Train station, they passed by a couple of tourists wearing sunglasses. Both were male, one of which had red hair and was dressed in a yellow and red tye-dye t-shirt and a pair of worn out blue jeans, while the other had long black hair and was wearing a tamer sky blue t-shirt with a pair of black jeans. The pair noted the man's departure, and after a moment quickly began to follow him. It only took them a moment to catch up to them, and before the soldier walking behind everyone else could react, the red-haired male already knocked him to the ground.

The other soldiers immediately turned around, two of them pulling back the man in the business suit as the remaining three prepared to defend him. The man in the black hair lunged forward, sweeping his feet underneath two of the soldiers, before flipping backwards to avoid being shot by the third soldier. The soldier hefted his weapon accordingly, the bullets bouncing into the ground just as the dark haired male continued to back flip out of the way. He wasn't prepared to fend off the redheaded man, who held a taiser to the back of his neck, electrocuting him and rendering unconscious.

The remaining two soldiers leveled their weapons at the two males. The dark haired man landed in a crouch a few feet away from his partner, who was beginning to approach the group of three. One of the soldiers grabbed a hold of the mans' arm and ushered him to the side just as the redhead leaped towards them, leaving the only soldier left to fend him off. The dark haired male made a run before jumping up onto his hands and springing himself up and overhead, landing just behind his partner and the soldier and then repeating the move so that he stood in front of the man and his sole protector. Both appeared shock stricken, which gave the dark haired man the opportunity to knock out the last remaining obstacle.

The man in the business suit appeared momentarily stunned at the action and tried to make a break for it. The redheaded man, however, pulled a weapon from his belt and fired it, a rope shooting out from the barrel, and wrapping around the man's legs. The redhead pulled on the gun and forced the man to trip and fall, landing roughly onto his stomach.

As the redhead moved to secure their prisoner, the dark haired man pulled out a black cell phone, dialed a number, and waited for someone on the other end to pick up. A moment later, someone did. "Mission accomplished." The man said. "We've secured the prisoner and we're going to finish the job."

The redhead stopped just behind the felled man, who looked back at him before quickly trying to pull off the ropes. The redhead grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, and pulled him up roughly onto his feet as his partner hung up the phone and slowly approached them. "So much for your entourage." He sneered. "They didn't do much for you anyway."

"Let's just get this over with." The dark haired man continued, pulling out a .6mm pistol from inside of his belt. "We're not getting paid by the hour."

"That's true." The redhead shrugged. Looking back at their prisoner, he frowned suddenly, turning the mans face to the left. What he saw there was a black vine-like tattoo that stretched the entire length of the left side of his face. "Since when did the President of Galbadia get a strange looking tattoo?"

"Since he fooled you guys into thinking that you actually had the President of Galbadia." The man responded, throwing a fist and connecting with the redheads' jaw. The man was thrown back by the force of the blow and landed roughly onto his back, his partner staring a gape as the man they had captured merely broke through the binding on his legs. Crouching into a fighting stance, the man smirked at the surprised expressions on his attackers faces. "Don't you just hate sting operations?"

Suddenly, from all sides, the attackers found themselves surrounded by SeeD personnel and Galbadian Special Forces, standard issued .9mm firearms held up at the ready. They had been equally divided around the perimeter, some hiding in bushes dressed in camouflage gear, while others merely appeared to be civilians. The man rose out of his fighter stance, gripped the top of his head, and pulled off the wig that he had been wearing revealing matted blond hair. Running his hands through his hair, Zell Dincht sighed loudly as the Galbadians and SeeDs advanced on the men who had raised their hands up in the air in surrender. "I was wondering when they were gonna make a move. That wig was killing my scalp."

Having forced the attackers to lie onto the ground handcuffed, Squall Leonhart confiscated the cell phone that the dark haired male had used before approaching the blond fighter. "It couldn't be helped. You had to stay in character."

"Yeah, I know." He said, frowning as he did. "But it didn't mean I had to like it."

Rolling his eyes, Squall turned on the headset he was wearing. "This is the leader of Alpha Team. We have secured the prisoners and are awaiting further instructions."

"Nice job!" Selphie Tilmitt shouted from the other end. "I was actually beginning to wonder if that information we gathered was verified."

"Well apparently it was."

"How's Zell doing?" Selphie inquired.

"Complaining as usual, but otherwise he's fine." Squall said, glancing back and watching as Zell helped some of the Galbadian soldiers to their feet. Several other soldiers were also aiding in assisting their fallen comrades. "I guess it was a good idea we chose him for this mission after all."

"See? Everything turned out fine, Mr. Pessimistic. We'll be standing by for your return. And Squall?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure Zell doesn't hurt them. You know how seriously he takes the things people say."

Squall grunted in affirmation. He definitely remembered that fact about the brawler, which was why he had been unsure of whether their choice of using him as a decoy had been a good move. He disconnected the contact, and watched as the soldiers hefted their prisoners up to their feet. Nodding affirmation to them, he was just about to give the order to return to their headquarters when he noticed something out of place in the redheaded mans' hands. Signaling for some of the soldiers to makes some distance from the prisoners, he pulled on the binoculars and zoomed in onto the device in the man's hands before his eyes widened. Taking off the binoculars, he backed away a couple of steps before shouting out to everyone else. "Get away from the prisoners and hit the deck!"

Everyone around him noted the seriousness of his tone and instantly dropped to the ground, the soldiers securing the prisoner torn between securing the prisoners and following orders. However, the time that they took to ponder about the situation was far too long as the device in the redheads hands detonated, causing an explosion that knocked the surrounding people onto their feet. Dust and debris flew in every direction and when the dust finally settled, all that was left in the resounding area was crumbled bits of brick that had once been the road, and broken bodies littering the miniature crater.

Climbing back to his feet, Squall bit back a curse and resisted the urge to throw down his headset in utter frustration. As it currently stood, the attackers were dead, as were a couple of Galbadian Soldiers, and now there were back at square one. _Well, not entirely…_ Squall thought to himself as he recalled the cellular phone that he had only just placed in the pocket of his jacket. Sighing, he re-established the connection he previously had, his frown deepening as he waited for Selphie to pick up the other end. Upon hearing her voice, he took in a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "Cancel what I just told you. One of the men had a bomb that just detonated."

"So that's what that sound was…" Selphie said on the other end. "I got a read out that said a large sound wave existed within your current location. Did anyone get hurt?"

"Yeah…" Squall answered. "the attackers and two Galbadian Soldiers. All four were killed."

"So we're back right where we started." Selphie sounded melancholy, which was a definite change from her usual sunny disposition.

"Not necessarily. We found a cellular phone on one of the men. He recently used it to call their contact, so I think we can trace the origin of the call back to its source."

"Well what are you waiting for? Get back here!" With that, Selphie disconnected the contact.

Taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Squall signaled to everyone within the area to return to headquarters. As his people and the Galbadians returned to the Presidential Residence, Squall took a lingering look back at the debris and destruction that had been caused. This operation was causing the Government of Galbadia millions for just repairing the damages caused in each task that was accomplished, and he knew that the Presidents' patience, as well as the cabinet of Galbadia's was not ever lasting. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, he turned away, heading back to headquarters. He had a feeling that when this day was over, he was going to have a serious migraine.

* * *

The central office at Balamb Garden had been rebuilt to its former glory. Of course, the entire third floor had been sanctioned off for the last four months, but the reconstruction had been worth the while. The pillar that rose up to the bridge was now shifted away from the window to allow more space within the lower level and the bridge had also been granted a makeover of sorts. The platform had been painted in the customary colours of Balamb Garden, instead of the dull, metallic mustard colour it had originally been, and guardrails had been placed to prevent the pilot and everyone else from falling the twenty meters it would take to get back to the ground. 

Since the structure had been moved closer to the door, two offices were quickly built behind it. Both were roughly about the same size and shape, and belonged to Headmaster Cid and Commander Conrad Greenwood. When Squall had removed himself as Garden Commander, because of his credentials Conrad was an instant shoe-in to replace him. He took the job seriously, and focused most of his time on the numerous piles of paperwork that needed to be either sorted or handed out, since there was no longer any need for SeeD forces in war. However, his task, when the World Confederation was completed, would be to train SeeD to become the official peacekeepers of the world. Noted, Seed did an excellent job as it stood, however the military force was originally a mercenary group and thus needed to be further trained in the field.

In his office sat Cid Kramer, the man who not only took charge of the Garden and its inhabitance for the better part of 20 years, but was responsible for its creation. He was a chubby mid aged man with dark graying hair (of which he kept covering up with hair dye), silver spectacles and dark eyes. He was dressed in his favourite attire; which consisted of a white dress shirt with a stripped red and black tie, a pair of black pants, and a red vest overtop his shirt. Currently, he was seated at his desk; writing up a list of SeeDs that would be present on the day the Confederation became official, before he placed down his pen and turned to look to the landscape that lay before him from his office window. Garden had come a long way since the day his wife, Edea Kramer, had come to him with the idea, and he was very fond of how things stood currently. Of course, things were not always this peaceful, but the course of ones journey was rarely ever easy. In addition, just because they were finally rid of the black sheep NORG, that didn't mean the road traveled down would be any easier.

Currently, the Garden was suffering a building deficit, one of which Cid hoped to be rectified once SeeDs career was changed and established. There were not too many missions needed by SeeD anymore; having eradicated the majority of the monster threats within the world and isolating them onto their own respective islands, and having dealt with the Sorceress of the future Ultimecia. Of course, the world prospered because of it, but financially, Garden was falling apart. This career change was the only option left to keep Garden afloat now, the countries of the world footing the bill respectively, but in retrospect Cid felt the students and current SeeDs could do with a change of pace. Mercenary life wasn't all too glamorous, and many SeeDs failed to live past the age of 35.

Sighing, Cid brought himself to turn away from the beautiful image of the ocean and trudged back to his desk to continue the task at hand. Just as he picked up his pen, however, the phone on his desk rang. Cid left it alone, knowing that Xu would be the one to answer it outside, but a moment later, Xu's voice patched in through the intercom. "Headmaster, you have a call on line one."

With his free hand, Cid pressed the intercom button located on his desk. "Tell them I'll take a message." Cid said, beginning to complete the list in front of him before picking up a file and discarding it onto another pile. "I'm busy making preparations for this Confederation."

"He says that it's urgent and that it could jeopardize the confederation."

At this, Cid looked up; dropping is pen once again and frowning. "Who is it?"

"It's President Loire of Esthar."

Immediately grabbing onto his desk phone and pressing the button that would connect him to line one, he couldn't help but wonder what the problem was. "Cid Kramer."

"Hey Cid." Laguna said from his end. "Sorry this isn't a social call though, but Esthar is currently in a state of emergency."

"How is that possible!" Cid asked, alarm creasing his features. "I thought that everything was secure from your end. It was the last time we spoke."

"Yeah, I know. And it was, I swear! I looked through the reports with Kiros and they were fine. But that's not the issue here."

"Then what is it?"

"About an hour ago, five Esthar staff workers who were working on the confederation project were murdered in cold blood by a guy that just waltzed right into the building, went to the floors and, well…you can guess what happened."

"So who do you suspect did it? And how can this jeopardize the project?"

Laguna sighed from where he was before speaking into the receiver once again. "It's not what I think that's the issue here. Everyone is jumping to conclusions over here, even though we haven't gone over the evidence yet! It's like Adel came back or something, which wouldn't be good considering it is Adel, but its technically impossible since you guys killed her, but weirder things have happened in the past, take for instance the sorceress from the future who was hell bent on destroying time…I wonder how that's possible…"

"Laguna, calm down." Cid said, shaking his head as he did. "You're going off topic again."

"Really?" Laguna asked. "Oops… sorry. I didn't even realize it this time. Old habits die hard I guess."

"Well, who does everyone else think is responsible for the attack?"

"That's the biggest issue at hand here!" Laguna said. "And I'd like to tell you, but I think Squall should be in the room to hear this too. Can you send him in real quick?"

Cid blinked curiously. He wondered what this whole thing had to do with Squall. "I'm afraid he can't right now. He's not at Garden currently."

"…Really?" Cid noted that the panic level in Laguna's voice seemed to double at least. "Oh, man…this looks really bad…do you know where he is?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Cid answered. "He's in Galbadia on a mission, although I can't tell you the details, of course."

Cid heard Laguna sigh in relief and that increased his curiosity even more. "Tell me…why did you panic when I told you he wasn't here?"

"…Because…everyone here thinks Squall's the one who did it."

Cid rose to his feet as soon as the words left the Presidents' mouth, shock throwing through to his facial features. "That's impossible. He's been stationed in that country for over two months now, and even still he wouldn't do anything of the sort unless it was under a contract."

"Yeah, I know that…but everyone else on my end doesn't." Laguna said. "I just wanted to warn you before we had to do something drastic."

"You mentioned that there was evidence. What was it?"

"It was a small knife; one used in close quarter fights. That's what the evidence team told me anyway. It was found lodged inside one of the men that was killed." Was the answer. "We don't know if it was SeeD issued or something else. But so far things are looking back for him."

Cid frowned. He sensed the Presidents' discomfort within this situation, and understood exactly where it was coming from. Laguna might have been a father Squall never knew or had, but he still cared enough about him that this whole situation was making the man jump through hoops. "Well, I thank you for trying to warn him, and I will pass the message through. But Laguna, if you are found trying to help a man who's wanted for a murder like this, they won't be able to trust that your judgment is valid in this situation. I understand how you feel, but right now, you need to restore order within your government. You need to keep your head clear, but make sure to contact me when news of this situation comes to you."

"Alright…" Laguna responded, albeit hesitantly. "If you say so. I'll let you know when I get new information."

Cid acknowledged the response and both disconnected the conversation. His mind far beyond that of paperwork, Cid rested his chin on his clasped hands and allowed himself to fall into deep thought. If the Estharians were so intent to point a finger at a SeeD (one that saved their lives no more than 4 months ago to be precise), he knew that things were only bound to get worse. Squall was innocent; for that much Cid was certain. However, that still didn't mean that the Estharians; so angry about the whole incident, were about to sit down and listen to reason. He would need to take drastic measures.

* * *

_**03:24:05**_

_**

* * *

**_The General of the Estharian Army had served his government for the last forty-five years. All of his suggestions had been pre-approved by the previous president as well as the current one, and he had dedicated himself to personally seeing through to his men's personal training. He had set aside plenty of hours just to make sure the soldiers of Esthar were not sluggish during battle and had personally resented it when it was revealed that they would hide from the world once Adel had fallen from power. Sure, he had stayed loyal to his country, but enough was enough! 

One he had received word that someone had somehow managed to bypass **his** security soldiers, invaded the premises of the Presidential Residence and successfully killed the people who would become responsible for ensure world peace, he had been infuriated. Sure, once the organization became officially in session, his job status would become reduced to that of a petty Police Chief, but he would be damned if anyone made a mockery of the Estharian forces and got away with it. He had thought that once the situation had made itself present, the President and the cabinet would be on his line of thinking. But that all changed once everyone discovered who it was.

Of course, he had questioned the guard at the front to make sure that no mistake had ensued, and once confirmation had been made, he made it his purpose to make the man pay for it. Squall Leonhart's was a direct relative of the President of Esthar held no meaning whatsoever to him. He wasn't an Estharian citizen nor was he above the law. He had committed a heinous and serious crime, and even if they had to drag him back to Esthar from the pits of hell, he would make sure that the criminal was prosecuted to the highest extent of the law.

And if they got beat some sense into him along the way, it would make him feel a whole lot better.

Checking his watch, he realized that it was just coming up to twenty-five after three in the morning. _Just about an hour since the crime was committed._ He thought to himself before regarding his soldiers. He had personally issued the order to ready the Estharian aircrafts were ready within the next thirty minutes and it looked as if everyone was almost ready to go. So he was breaking the rules by not informing his superiors about this trip. It didn't matter, but he was positive that they wouldn't care, just as long as they came back with the prisoner.

"Sir." One of the soldiers said, coming to stand behind the General and saluting as soon as the man turned around. "The planes are ready to leave on your call."

The planes were made of a special alloy, which could withstand blasts of heat, blizzard, and any kind of missile-like weapons that were created by the other nations of the world, be it natural or magical. They were painted the customary silver and purple colours, but could easily become invisible, not unlike the uniforms worn regularly by the Estharian Soldiers, and could easily fit in at least half a fleet of soldiers aboard. Inside of the ship, two chairs sat in front of the controls for pilots, and three more decorated either side of the cockpit. Stationed in the next room was another room that was filled with more chairs, only these contained overhead straps to keep the soldiers in place. Each line of chairs sat on opposite sides of the room, so that the soldiers were facing one another.

"Excellent." He said, and dismissed the soldier before boarding the lead plane. Watching as the pilots strapped themselves in, he approached them, making sure that their destination was included in the navigational system before giving the go ahead. Soon after this, they lifted off, opening up the hanger doors before lifting off.

The General had seen to it that only one ship be taken for this mission. He didn't believe that the criminal could take on the amount of men he was bringing along, SeeD or no SeeD, and it was also to delay the amount of time that it took for the President and anyone else finding out just what he had done. He didn't want to travel a quarter of the way just to have the President catch up to him and order him to pull over and return to base. He would stand for no interruptions until he return to Esthar with his objective having been fulfilled.

"Sir," The pilot said once they were in the air. He was dressed in the same uniform, only he was missing the helmet and had a miniature headset with a small microphone sitting in front of his mouth, and an earpiece located sitting over his left ear. "We should reach Balamb Garden within a half hour."

"Good." With that, the General headed back towards his troops. A final briefing was in order.

Walking through the sliding doors, he heard the whooshing sound they made as they closed behind him and folded his arms across his chest as every pair of eyes in the room turned to address him. Had they all not been strapped to their seats, they would have saluted him upon his entry. "Okay, listen up." He spoke, after taking a moment to see if anyone would speak out of line. "We are heading towards Balamb Garden on a covert mission. The objective is to apprehend a SeeD by the name of Squall Leonhart for questioning on his whereabouts an hour ago. He is the prime suspect for the crime of which occurred around quarter after 2 this morning, and we need to bring him in. Unfortunately, dead is not an option, so if you need to shoot at him, be careful. Now…any questions?"

"Sir!" One of the soldiers said, and he would have risen if not for the restraints. "Is that the name of theSeeD who fought against Ultimecia?"

"And isn't he also the President's son, sir?" Another soldier spoke up.

At this point, the rest of the team within the room exchanged nervous glances. Not only was the man strong, but also being connected to the President was enough of a means to worry about the proceedings of this mission. Not even batting an eyelash, the General knew that the questions would come. "That is correct. And before anyone asks, I'm answering both questions. But we apparently need to prove to this man that he is not above our law just because his 'daddy' runs our government. And that's why we need to bring him in.

"Think about the family members of the people whose lives were taken barely an hour ago." The General continued. "Think of the expression on their faces if we had to tell them that the man who killed those people was untouchable because he is related to the President. No one is above the law, and if we have to bash it into his skull for it to sink in, then so be it!"

Everyone else within the room cheered at the encouraging speech that was just presented to them. In their minds, they felt that no one should be able to walk away merely do to the threat a connection could serve to them. They could imagine what would happen if someone they cared about was murdered and how they would feel if the man or woman responsible got away with it simply because of who they were, or who their family was.

And with that, their objective was set in stone; apprehend the guilty party and bring him back to Esthar to prosecute to the highest ability of the law.

* * *

Upon entering the meeting room at the Presidential Residence in Galbadia, Squall, Zell, and a team of SeeDs and Galbadian Soldiers began their search for the President of Galbadia. The room was designed to withstand an attack from all sides, from underneath and from overhead. The room was painted a mundane metallic blue, the desks and terminals all having been coated black to blend into their surroundings. Several people were station in front of the monitors, typing rapidly at their keyboards and occasionally taking a sip of coffee that sat within arms reach. Other people were busy looking through documentation that held important and very detailed information concerning the country and each city within Galbadian Rule. This no longer included Timber, since after former President Vinzer Delings' death at the hands of a possessed Edea, and the recently elected their new President. Once that was done, all operations that were currently being conducted on behalf of Deling were put on hold before the elections and were terminated afterwards. Timber was finally an independent Country once again, and now their newly created government was in the midst of electing their own governor. 

The soldiers stayed at the very entrance of the room whereas the SeeDs continued forward, walking past the workers and heading towards an office that sat on a couple of spires and connected to the rest of the floor by means of a spiraling staircase, of which was painted back as well. They entered the office and immediately saluted the man who sat inside.

Ibrihim Caraway had not changed much since the beginning of the Sorceress War. He still had dark hair and graying strands at the sides of his head, however, instead of the usually trimmed uniform he wore as the General of the Galbadian Army, he was dressed in a black business suit and loafers; however, his shirt was a medium blue, the tie matching the black suit. He sat at his desk; his hands clasped together having already put aside the file he had been reading as he awaited the report.

Caraway nodded with his head once and all who was present in the room dropped from their initial stances. "Operative Tilmitt briefed me just momentarily with the details, but she also stated that you had a cellular phone that was confiscated from one of the suspects?"

Squall nodded in response before stepping forward, pulling the cell phone from his pocket, and placing it on top of the desk. "I think that we can use the number that was dialed to lead us back to the source of the phone call."

"Is there any chance that the contact could leave before you figure out the location?"

"There's always a chance, but it's highly unlikely." Squall answered before gesturing back at Zell.

"They were confirming the capture before we nailed them." Zell continued. "So at best, it should be about a half hour before whoever it is suspects that something went wrong."

Caraway looked to each of the SeeDs before nodding once. "Then that's the amount of time that you have. Have Selphie trace the area code and then narrow it down as far as you can. You have ten minutes at the most, but more than that, we can't afford to spare."

"Understood." Squall answered, at this, the SeeDs saluted Caraway. A moment later, everyone filed out of the room, leaving Caraway alone with his thoughts.

As soon as everyone returned to the ground floor, the SeeDs accompanying the pair split off in separate directions, accessing un-used terminals or picking up folders filled to the brim with documents and searching through them. Zell and Squall immediately headed towards a girl with brown hair that was held back into a ponytail. She was wearing a yellow halter-top underneath a navy blue denim jacket and a pair of black kaki jeans. Her shoes were standard white and black running shoes. Having noticed the two males approaching before they were within five feet of each other, she turned around in her seat, her emerald green eyes following their movements and revealing that the shorter strands of her hair, which also included her bangs, escaped the elastic band that kept the rest of her hair out of her face. She smiled widely at the both of them. "Having fun, guys?"

"No time." Squall cut in, standing off to her left. Zell stood behind her, folding his arms as he did. "We need you to track down an area code."

"To the cell phone, right?" Selphie asked, at this Squall nodded. "No sweat. How soon do you need it?"

"Less than five minutes." Squall answered, handing Selphie the cellular phone. "We need to be ready in ten."

"Gotcha!" The brunette winked at Squall quickly before turning around to face the monitor screen once more. Picking up the phone, she pressed the display button before hooking it up to the computer and soon enough her fingers began to fly across the keyboard.

Zell grabbed a seat at the next monitor and linked his computer up to hers. When Squall gave him a curious expression, the brawler smiled and gave him the thumbs up. "Four eyes are better than two, right?'

Squall nodded and quickly left the area, heading towards the changing area. He figured that he should at least change clothes before the initial search. Three minutes later, he returned to the meeting room, clad in a pair of blue faded jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a black leather jacket. Rather than wear the familiar leather jacket with the fur collar, it was of a simple design. It still possessed a zipper at the front, but it didn't appear to be nearly as loose, and it reached to his waist rather than mid-chest. He still wore the combat boots to protect his feet from anything if he came up against someone, but mostly because he didn't own a pair of running shoes.

"Did you find anything?" He asked Selphie, running a hand through his hair before folding his arms across his chest.

"Damn right I found something." Selphie answered. "The area code I got was 435. There are three other area codes for the city though; each one for a separate sector."

Squall nodded. "I'll talk to Caraway about the possible locations."

"No need." Selphie said, stopping him. "I got Zell to run a quick scan of the city to pinpoint the location of the area code. He should be finishing up right about now."

"Booya!" Zell shouted in triumph, pumping his fist into the air.

"I take it you found something." Squall asked, immediately coming up beside the brawler.

"You're right, man." Zell acknowledged. "I narrowed down the location to around the Shopping District of the city."

"Any precise location?" Squall asked and Zell shook his head.

"It's within a three mile radius of the place, which includes a section of the Deling City Park and the theatre district. I can't pinpoint it exactly..." Zell began to type on the keyboard.

"It's good enough. Get changed. We leave in two." With that, Squall left to recruit the necessary group of SeeDs and Galbadians to accompany them on the raid.

Zell and Selphie exchanged glances before Selphie shrugged in response. "You heard the man."

"Right…" Zell said, grabbing a hold of the either pant leg and lifting it up to reveal that the brawler was currently standing on a couple of wooden stilts. It had been for the mission, since Zell wasn't exactly the same height as the President. "Wouldn't wanna end up fighting on these things?"

Selphie giggled. "I was wondering why you were taller than Squall."

Zell rolled his eyes and retreated towards the changing area to dress in clothes that were more comfortable.

"I'll tell Caraway what's going on!" She shouted after the blonde. Zell waved behind him, signaling that he heard her and she rose to her feet, heading towards the Presidential Office.

* * *

Immediately entering the Headmasters' office, Quistis Trepe frowned in worry. She had never been called up upon the announcement speakers unless it was during combat. The blonde SeeD stepped into the middle of the room just in front of the Headmasters' desk and fell into formation. Quistis wasn't a small girl, but she wasn't tall either, her height sitting at five and a half feet. Currently, she was dressed in her SeeD uniform, which consisted of a black jacket overtop a white tank top and matching skirt that reached to her knees. Her black boots reached up to the knee, and her long blond hair was tied back in a professional looking bun. 

The Headmaster nodded to her once and she immediately dropped the stance. "May I ask why I've been called up here sir?"

Cid sighed once before turning his full attention to her. "At two a.m. Esthar time, someone entered the Presidential Residence and murdered five people in cold blood before fleeing the building. They haven't been able to locate him since. He did however leave behind a knife inside one of his victims."

"Sir, what does this have to do with SeeD?" Quistis asked, becoming a bit unnerved.

"Esthar believes that Squall was the one who committed the crime."

Quistis blanched at the information, taken aback. With the World Confederation being held in a month's time, this situation could jeopardize the peace talks and could even lead to another war. "But Squall would never kill without a contract, let alone in cold blood. He's distant, but never a cold blooded killer."

"I know this, and so does the Laguna." Cid explained. "Unfortunately, his government doesn't and they are the ones with the accusations. So far, nothing has happened, but this whole situation could lead to worse things. As the student councilor Quistis, I need you to keep the students and SeeDs within the building from learning the full details until the situation has been resolved. That means that information is strictly on a need to know basis."

"But what about Rinoa and Irvine?" Quistis asked. "Don't they have a right to know what's happening?"

Cid paused momentarily before clasping his hands together atop of the desk. "I understand how you feel, and under any other terms, I would advice that you let them know. But I don't want to cause any sort of panic from them. Rinoa is an overly emotional person and, with her powers, I'm afraid something might end up happening that would cause more problems. Hopefully, this whole thing will resolve quickly."

Quistis frowned at the prospect of keeping information from her friends, especially when one of them was intimately involved with the person involved. Quistis understood the bond that tied Squall and Rinoa together, and she knew that neither one wanted to keep secrets from each other.

Unfortunately, she also knew that the Headmaster had a valid point not to tell them. Even though she was receiving training from Edea Kramer, Rinoa's control over her power was still slight if anything. Who knew what would happen if the girl lost her temper and her control. It didn't even need to be pointed out that Irvine would be compelled to notify Rinoa of the situation, so that left him out of the loop as well.

Finally coming to terms with what she had to do, she nodded, regaining a neutral expression. "Yes sir. I understand. But what about Squall? We're not just going to leave him there, are we?"

"Of course not, given the circumstance." Cid answered. "I've already notified Nida to prepare the Ragnarok. He'll be leaving for Deling City shortly, and will notify Squall of the situation when he brings him back to the Garden."

"Sir, with all due respect, don't you think that the information would be better received if it came from someone he trusted?" Quistis realized that she had spoken her thoughts out directly, especially when she noticed the Headmaster's eyebrow rise. "I'm quite sure that Squall trusts Nida, but both of us also know that he has issues with the subject. Only those close to him have earned the sort of trust that he needs, and I personally believe that one of his friends should be there when he finds out what is going on."

"I understand how you feel, Quistis." Cid said, removing his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt. "And I know exactly what you are proposing, but right now, you are needed at the Garden."

"I'm sure that Dr. Kadowaki can deal with the student body, and if the need comes that she requires assistance, I'm positive that Xu would be more than happy to keep the peace. She's been capable of doing so in the past."

Cid replaced his spectacles to their place in front of his eyes and stroked his chin in deep thought. Quistis watched him, frowning as the time passed between them. Finally after what felt like an eternity, Cid looked up and met the younger girls' gaze before taking in a deep breath. "Alright. You may go with Nida on this rescue mission. I have a feeling that you would have gone even without confirmation, although it is unlike you."

Quistis nodded, confirming the elder mans suspicions. "Then you should hurry. Meet Nida at the front Gate in twenty minutes. The Ragnarok is located outside, since there isn't any room in the Garden to store it. Whatever new information I receive will be sent to the both of you immediately."

Quistis saluted the headmaster once again, this time with a grateful grin. She had hoped he would have given her permission. After all, she had grown up with Squall when they were little, and once again when she had joined Garden. She couldn't imagine what would happen to him, and the real reason she had wanted to tag along was to make sure that he was safe. Her feelings as his older sister were strong, especially now when she knew he could be in trouble. Turning around, she headed out of the office while Cid picked up the phone and contacted Nida once again.

* * *

The General re-entered the cockpit of the plane he was riding in. He had been called to the front of the plane due to some important information that had been recently recovered and he was interested to see what this information was. He hoped that it had something to do with the current objective; something they could use in their favour. 

Coming up to stand behind the technicians seated on one of the side seats, he folded his arms atop of the chair the woman was seated in and rested his chin atop of his arms. She had short black hair and was dressed in the same style as he was.

"What is it?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Sir, it seems as though our target is not currently residing at Balamb Garden." She answered.

"Do you know where he is?" He asked.

"I wasn't sure at the time, but I was able to hack into their system briefly before the automated systems booted me out. There, I was able to get a hold of some of the audio files that become stored in their databases." Turning around to face the General, she leaned back into the chair as his arms folded across his chest. "Whenever a call is made to any office, it has a place that it needs to go to. Every system has one, no matter how difficult it may be to find. I was just lucky that no one was expecting me to pull such an act. Anyway, the call is stored in the databases that connect every phone line within the building, for instance, the Garden, for a short period of time. Just to be safe, I hacked into their systems, and found out the information that we needed."

"And you looked through them?"

She nodded. "One of the calls made to Garden was extremely interesting, as it concerned our government. In other words, they know that we're after Leonhart."

"But did you find out where he is currently?"

"According to the feeds, he has been stationed in Galbadian territory for the last two months."

The General frowned in thought. It appeared that the SeeD was far smarter than he had first gathered. Not only did he give himself a seal-prove alibi, but it seemed as though he hid himself in the country that Esthar had many discrepancies with. No doubt, he was counting on the Galbadians to stand in-between Esthars' objectives. "It seems as thought we're dealing with a strategical genius." The General muttered aloud before addressing his next concern. "Could you make out who it was that relayed this information?"

"Surprisingly enough, it was as if he wasn't disguising his voice at all, which means that he didn't expect me to hack into their systems. It was our own President, warning SeeD about the whole thing."

The General pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He knew that the Presidents' sensitivity to the situation was going to cost them and it seemed as if his paternal instincts were getting the better of the man. He was seriously going to have a long talk with his superiour about this as soon as the mission objective was completed. "Our Presidents' sentimentalities are going to be the end of our civilization; of that much I'm sure."

"Should we consider assigning a replacement?" The woman asked, to which the General shook his head.

"No. The people wouldn't like to see our president suddenly changing in the middle of a crisis. It would not only look bad on our behalf, but it would do nothing to relieve the state of emergency that has fallen upon Esthar. If anything, it would just make things worse." Stroking his chin with his right hand, he came to a solution, although whether or not it would doom them all, he wasn't sure. "He should stay for the moment, but someone needs to help him see where his priorities lie."

"What should we do?"

"The only thing we can do. Can you hack into any radio-frequency communications within the Galbadian continent?"

The woman nodded. "Good. Get on that. I want his location narrowed down within the nextten minutes."

Leaving her to her work, the General approached both the pilot and the co-pilot, his expression as stern as his tone of voice. "I need you to change our course of destination. We will be heading to Galbadia instead of Balamb."

"I thought the subject was residing in Balamb?" The co-pilot asked.

"It seems that he's not there currently. He's residing on Galbadian territory."

"Yes sir." The pilot said, pressing a couple of buttons on the dashboard and flipping a couple of switches overhead. "Changing destination to the country of Galbadia. Our ETA should be just under an hour."

"Excellent." The General said. "I should have the exact location for you in within the nextten minutes."

The acknowledge the information and the General returned to his men, ready to brief them once more.

* * *

**_03:39:45_**

* * *

As soon as Zell had finished changing his attire, both he and Squall had rallied up two more SeeD members as well as a total of six Galbadian Soldiers to accompany them. By that time, Selphie had been able to narrow down the search further, and had explained to everyone that the location was now isolated within less than a mile radius. Having already spoken to Caraway about the details, Caraway had given the okay and everyone had headed out not a moment sooner. Selphie and the other three SeeDs returned to their monitors with the intention of tracking their movements as they neared the location, while the Soldiers stationed in front of the door split up to protect the perimeter, to prevent an attack on the President from occurring. The team heading towards the Shopping District moved quickly, allowing them to arrive at their destination within the span of five minutes.

The Shopping Plaza was a sight to be seen during the night, but during the day, it didn't appear to be nearly as impressive. The buildings were melded into each other, creating a simplistic atmosphere. Some of the buildings had makeshift roofs over the front, to try to set themselves apart from the rest of the shops within the vicinity. The buildings were painted a pale peach colour that resembled a slight beige undertone. Black lampposts were set up every third section of the sidewalk to illuminate the area during the hours the sun was no longer in the sky.

Unlike the Galbadian Soldiers, who were still dressed in their military dress, the SeeDs were dressed slightly more casually. Zell was dressed in a pair of navy blue shorts that reached up to his knees, and a black muscle shirt underneath dark red that sat undone. His hair was spiked up once more, and he wore a pair of black running shoes. Over each of his hands was a pair of black and red studded knuckle gloves, of which past opponents could verify could pack a punch. The other two SeeDs were dressed in a pair of black jeans; however, one wore a dark green sweatshirt while the other wore a navy blue t-shirt. Each wore different running shoes; one with the majority white and blue with the other being red and black. One of the SeeDs had dark red hair that could almost be mistaken as auburn cut short and spiked up in all directions, and the other had jet black hair that reached up to his shoulders. Regardless of dress, all four of the SeeDs were wearing a grey over-jacket with a concealed .6mm pistol sheathed in the inside pocket. They also possessed a 9.mm pistol on a strap tucked inside of their boots or on their legs, in case of emergency. Of course, each fighter also had their preferred weapon concealed as well.

Just after Caraway had been briefed on the group's motives, he had inconspicuously stationed normally off duty personnel in the area they were heading to block off traffic as well as the escort the civilians out of the area, so as to prevent any casualties during the execution of the mission. Thus was the reason for the lack of people within the vicinity. Even the men usually stationed by the bus stops were no longer there. This suited them just fine.

Squall activated the headset that sat on his head and adjusted the frequency he was using before speaking into the microphone. "Can you hear me?"

"Yep! Loud and clear Squally!"

Squall slapped himself in the forehead. "Don't call me that…"

"Tee-hee…sorry, I couldn't resist. But yeah, I can hear you."

"Good. Have you located the actual building the subject is in?"

"Not yet, but I do have an idea of where you guys should start looking. You're currently within the three-block radius that the readouts I have are telling me. The guy should be hiding around there."

"How much longer do we have before he figures that something went wrong?"

"About fifteen minutes. Don't worry; I should have the exact location to you guys in five."

Squall frowned. "We'll lay low until then, but we can't afford to wait any longer than that."

"I know that already. I'm almost done tracking it, and I'll get back to you as soon as I have the information."

Sighing, Squall cut the communication before turning to the rest of the people. "We have no choice but to wait here until Selphie re-establishes the communication link. She's still looking for the exact location, but she knows that we're within a three block radius. We can't make any moves to investigate just in case we search the wrong place and tip off the contact."

"So we just sit here and wait?" Zell asked, his shoulders slumping when Squall nodded. "Man, I hate standby conditions, but it can't be helped, can it?"

Ignoring Zell's comment, Squall lowered his voice before addressing the group once again. "We stay here, but we also keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. It would help things just in case we see the target before Selphie comes through with the information."

Everyone nodded in understanding before taking their places in the shadows, waiting for the required information as well as the target to make his move.

* * *

The General returned to the cockpit of the plane and stood behind the technician. "Did you find it yet?" 

"Only seven minutes have past since I started looking." The woman answered, her gaze never leaving the computer screen. "But yes, I found a frequency that we can use. Interestingly enough it's patched into the target."

"So you can trace it?"

"I was just starting to hack into it about a minute or so before you barged in, but yes, I can."

Just before she could continue though, the red light linked to the computer began to blink on and off, signaling something. The woman quickly checked it before sighing. "It's coming from the Presidential Residence in Esthar. Shall I patch us through?"

It was probably nothing more than someone from security calling to locate their missing ship. With a grunt, the General shook his head. "Ignore it for now. Our objective is far more important than…"

"Sir!" One of the pilots called from where they were seated. "I'm receiving contact from someone at the Presidential Residence. It's an audio feed and he demand to be patched through immediately."

"Ignore it." The General ordered. He was definitely not going to allow anyone to mess up this operation.

The Pilot nodded somewhat uncertainly before returning his attention to flying the plane. After a moment of silence, the woman sighed triumphantly, cracking her knuckles at the same time. "I've gotten the location of the target." She stated evenly. "He's located in the heart of Deling City."

"The Capital?" The General asked.

"Yes. Perhaps he believes that the people will provide more cover and prevent us from recognizing him."

"Not likely." The General snorted. "According to records from past raids on the city, it's desolate out in the day. His best chance would have been to hide at night. Guess he isn't as smart as we first thought he was."

Just before the technician could respond, the co-pilot called the General over. "Sir, with all do respect, I really would suggest that you take this transmission."

"And why is that?" The General asked.

"Because it's the President." He answered. "He's personally demanding to speak to you immediately."

_Crap…_ The General thought to himself. By defying an order given directly from the President, he could be held for treason or worse. And then nothing would be done about the prisoner. Growling under his breath, he grabbed one of the headsets that was stationed nearby before placing it atop his head and activating the device. "General Charles Orally of the Estharian Army speaking."

"General Orally, what the hell do you think you're doing!" The President shouted from where he was located currently.

"I'm pursuing the suspect of the crime that occurred over an hour ago, sir." The General stated evenly.

"Dammit, the evidence hasn't come back yet, so we don't know if it was his weapon or not! And I don't recall giving you orders to pursue the suspect! We'll get the evidence first, then response according to that."

"Sir, with all due respect, I feel that we already know who is at fault in this situation." The General said, his tone not betraying his feeling of irritation. "I merely have just taken the proper imitative to see to it that the suspect is brought back to Esthar for questioning."

"I don't care what you think you're doing, I want you, your team and that plane to return to Esthar immediately. Do you hear me!"

The General frowned deeply. In approximately fifty minutes, they would arrive in Galbadia, even sooner now since they knew exactly where they were heading, and they couldn't afford to be stopped by the Presidents order now.

"Answer me!" Laguna shouted through the audio frequency. "Return to base immediately!"

The General said nothing, merely shutting off the connection, knowing that both pilots had done the same. All that he heard as he disconnected was the surprised response of the President. The General understood that he would be receiving disciplinary action for disobeying orders, but he felt it would be worth it once they returned with the culprit in their custody.

"Continue as planned." He said to the pilots, who had been awaiting his orders for a full minute. "Ignore the Presidents order to return to base, at least until we find who we're looking for." His eyes narrowed with determination as he continued to speak. "His father is not going to bail him out of this situation like he did at the Sorceress' Memorial."

The Pilots nodded in response as they redirected their line of attention towards getting the passengers to their destination. Nodding to himself, the General returned to where the technician was before speaking again. "Do you have an exact location as to where the suspect is?"

"Like I stated before," she said. "He was at the heart of the city."

His eyebrow twitched when he heard her. "What do you mean by 'was'?"

"Well, he's still there, sir." She continued. "But he's moved. It's not far from where we tracked him before, but it seems as though he's looking for something. I'll keep tracking his movements from here."

"Excellent." The General stated before turning back to the pilots. "How long until we reach our destination?"

"Approximate ETA is within the next fifteen minutes if I boost the engines." He stated. "Now that we know where we're going, it's safe to utilize our speed without the possibility of wasting our fuel."

"Good. Boost the engines. I refuse to allow the suspect to get away." The General then headed back to where his troops were stationed. It wouldn't be long now until the criminal was brought to justice.

* * *

Selphie had just given the ground team the exact location of where their target was, and immediately the team proceeded towards the structure. Selphie activated the cameras that had been stationed throughout the city in order to properly monitor them from her current location. So far, everything was proceeding smoothly, which put her on alert. The Trabian raised girl knew from past experiences that if an operation appeared to be moving perfectly that something must be wrong. Switching camera angles, she was relieved to know that she could still see the ground team perfectly. If she was to do her job properly, she needed to have constant supervision of the group. 

Suddenly, Paul Dobs, one of the original technicians that worked with the government, walked over towards the small SeeD before she looked up to acknowledge him, giving him half of her attention while keeping the other half on the computer module in front of her. "What is it?" she asked.

"There was something odd that I detected in the Galbadian Airspace approximately 45 minutes away." Paul explained. "I pinpointed it and it looks like a strange blur."

"Can't you deal with it?" Selphie asked. Normally, she would be willing to help out, but right now her mind was on her current job. "I'm kinda busy right now."

"I normally would, but the President gave us orders to process things through you because of the training you received in data analysis. I don't think we should leave it to wait."

Selphie drummed her fingers lightly on the keyboard for about half a second before nodding. "Alright, send them over. But I need you to keep an eye on the ground team."

Paul nodded once before returning to his own desk and within a minute, an image that had been taken by the cameras of which had been set up to view Galbadian Airspace appeared on her screen. The cameras had been given by the Estharian Government as per the peace contract established upon work began on the World Confederation project. Anything that flew by the airspace was immediately photographed and documented by the technicians involved in that category.

Cracking her knuckles, Selphie brought up the image and inspected it. Although Paul had said he noticed something odd about the image, Selphie's eyes were fully enhanced by her junctions. If something were out of the ordinary, then her eyes would be able to detect it.

And indeed she did. The 'blur' that Paul had mentioned turned out to be light reflecting off of something midair. Selphie raised an eyebrow at the image before enlarging it. Upon doing so, she frowned as she realized that the light that reflected off of the object was blocking her way. Obviously the reason the light resounded was because it bounced off of metal due to the camera's angle, but that didn't mean that she couldn't see what this metal was connected to. She had her suspicions but she figured that she would analyze it further. But that still didn't mean she couldn't warn the team.

Pressing a button on the small screen which was located on the monitor, she waited as it sent her a directory list of everyone within reach of their computer. Scrolling the list quickly, she located the ID number she was searching for and immediately patched into the man who was busy staring at his screen and typing something. "Daniel, I need you to patch me into the ground teams communications frequency."

On the other end, Daniel nodded and signaled to her to give him a moment to patch her through. When that moment passed, he gave her the thumbs up before she pulled on her headset, taking a moment to berate herself for not doing so in the first place. "Ground team, this is the Presidential Residence speaking, please respond."

"Ground team here." Squall's voice patched in almost immediately after she finished her sentence. Sometimes, his predictability was a trait that came into handy. "What is it?"

"Ground team, we have just established that something foreign just entered Galbadian Airspace approximately less than five minutes ago. We don't have confirmation as to what it is, but it is advised that your team proceed with caution. It could be a carrier to meet with the target."

"Ground team copies. We will proceed with extreme caution."

"I know you will." Selphie said, breaking out of the formal speech. She hated it when she had to use it. "Keep safe and contact me if you see anything out of the ordinary." Immediately after she finished speaking, the contact was disabled.

Sighing at the predictable nature behind Squall Leonhart, Selphie contacted Paul with the information she had picked up. "I'll decifer the image as best as I can and contact you with the results. Just keep an eye on those monitors."

"Will do." Paul said, genuinely thankful. "Thanks a lot, Selphie."

"No problem!" She winked before turning off her monitor. Stroking her chin thoughtfully, she didn't like the fact that whatever the image was it had cloaking capabilities. The only country that possessed such technology was Esthar, but she knew that no one from Esthar had mentioned anything about a visit, nor did the Galbadians sanction such an action.

This information put her on further alert. If Esthar was up to something, did that mean that there would be another conflict between the two superior countries? She wondered if Sir Laguna had any idea as to what was occurring and if so what his reasons behind these actions were.

But if he wasn't the one responsible for the unexplained visit, then did that mean that there were people working outside of his control? What reasons would invoke such a response from the Estharian Government? She didn't even know if it was a war carrier or if it was just a visitor craft, but she figured it would be better to be safe than to be sorry. Sighing, she stood up from where she sat and quickly head towards the Presidential office.

Upon approaching the door, she sighed in relief that he was the only one inside before knocking and opening the door, letting herself in. Caraway looked up from his reports just as Selphie saluted him. He nodded and she returned to an informal stance. "Sir, one of the aerial cameras took a picture of something flying into Galbadian Airspace approximately five minutes ago."

"Do you know what it is?" Caraway asked and Selphie shook her head.

"But I do have an idea of what it could be, although it's only a suspicion. The image that Paul sent me from his terminal portrays the sky, but a reflection of light bounced off what could be presumed as a metallic surface. If my guess is correct, then that would mean that the craft flying into the country would have to be cloaked."

"And the only country who has cloaking capabilities is Esthar." Caraway concluded. "Alright, have you warned the ground team?"

"Yes, and they're on high alert now, but I didn't explain the possibility that they could be Estharian. I wanted to make sure before I made such a statement."

"What do you have in mind?" Caraway asked.

"Well, since the Galbadian carriers have been grounded since the Sorceress War four months ago, that means that the only ship that has taken to the air is the aircraft detected. Since Esthar ships computers are run on data microchips, then I believe it would be possible to track their location and destination. I might even be able to listen into their operation if I can get through to the audio section of the ship."

"Good. Go do that now. I want a report immediately after you are finished."

"Yes sir." Selphie immediately saluted the President before leaving the room and heading back to her own terminal. She had work to do and no time to waste doing it.

* * *

**The Time is now 4 a.m.**

**

* * *

**

Sorry about the gap between the previous update and this one. This chapter took a while to write. I hope you enjoyed it.

Please review.  
Ciao  
Queen


	3. 3rd Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

* * *

Squall pressed his back up against the building before quickly glancing around the corner. No one out of the ordinary was within the vicinity, excluding the Galbadian Soldier normally stationed just to the side of the front door. Ducking back into the alleyway, he signaled for everyone to continue onward, but to use extreme caution while doing so.

Selphie had contacted them no more than a few moments ago, with the location of the contact. It turned out that the suspect believed in hiding in the last place anyone would think of, and indeed he did. The Deling City hotel was definitely the last place anyone would have expected anyone with a vendetta against the President would stay, especially since it was so open and public. In fact, the only thing private thingabout that place were the activities that went on behind closed doors.

_Not everyone is exactly as they seem, I suppose…_ Squall thought to himself as he led his team towards the front door of the hotel. Unfortunately, he had no idea which room the target was in, since Selphie had been unable to narrow the location down that close. Squall figured that they would have to search the entire area, including the lobby and the lounge down the stairsto the right.

The Galbadian Soldier was just about to prevent them from entering the building, but upon seeing more Galbadian officers escorting the group, he backed off and saluted them as they walked through the front door. As soon as they did, the receptionist rose to her feet and the bell girl hurried towards the group. "I'm sorry, but your presence here is going to scare our guests."

"That's just too bad." Zell responded.

"We need to search the hotel." Squall explained as one of the soldiers flashed his badge. "We're under orders from the President. If you want confirmation, call him yourself, but we have a job to do." With that, Squall, Zell and the other SeeDs headed past the two girls, who feebly tried to prevent their entry. However, two of the Galbadian Soldiers stood in their path, preventing them from interfering.

Squall signaled for the black haired SeeD to take two soldiers with him to check the lobby and signaled for another two soldiers to accompany the remaining three up the stairs. The rest of the soldiers knew exactly what to do, since they were left in the lobby.

* * *

Selphie had successfully hacked into the database of the aircrafts memory banks, which concluded one thing; that she had been right about the origin of the planes. That created more unanswered questions in her head, but she figured that her best bet was to trace the location to it's source and figure out their current destination. She wasn't too concerned with eavesdropping on their conversation at the moment, and placed the notion on hold just in case something did come up.

Having placed the headset over her head, she was currently keeping tabs on the information that was being processed into the computer terminal. So far, she had traced the current location of the Estharian craft, but she was still trying to focus in on their current destination. Finally sighing out of frustration, she looked over to where Paul was sitting, which was nearby. "Hey Paul, give me a hand here. I'm trying to find out where this ship is headed."

"What do you need me to do?" Paul asked.

"Boost my system with a little more power. It should only take another minute for me to search."

Paul nodded and began to quickly type on his keyboard. Suddenly, Selphie took notice that the power indicators on the bottom right hand corner of the screen were rising, and, nodding to herself in satisfaction,she continued her search. After another moment passed, Selphie shrieked in joy and clapped her hands before returning her gaze to the monitor.

"I take it your found what you were looking for."

"Yep." Selphie nodded before immediately calming down and frowning. "Uh oh…"

"What's 'uh oh' mean?" Paul asked.

"Well, I just found out where the Estharians are heading." Selphie answered. "Their heading towards the city."

"But why would they come here? They don't have any real reason to come to this country, let alone this city."

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying to patch into their audio systems to figure out what they could want. But I'm going to warn the ground team before I look for anything else."

"That might be a good call."

Selphie smiled at him briefly before re-establishing the link she had with the ground team. "Ground Team, this is the Presidential Residence. I just discovered that the aircraft that was located a few minutes ago was an Estharian aircraft."

"What would Esthar want with Galbadia?" Squall asked from his end.

"I don't know, I'm in the process of figuring that out now. All I know is that they're heading towards the city. I don't know where in the city, but as soon as I find out, I'll definitely let you guys know."

Squall gave Selphie the affirmative before cutting off the transmission. Selphie nodded to herself once before redirecting her gaze to the screen. However, she suddenly noted that there was a difference in the frequency that she used as soon as she cut off the contact, and she began tracing the source, her fingers flying along the keyboard. Paul looked over and noticed the look of determination on the girls face. "What is it now?"

"I noticed something odd when the transmission cut off from the ground team." Her eyes didn't even leave the monitor screen. "I'm tracking its movements now."

"Let me help you." Paul suggested. "Give me access to you module; I'll help you search."

Selphie moved her right hand to the number section of the keyboard and typed in the computer code before sending the frequency over to Paul's computer. The confirmation icon appeared in the center of her screen, but was immediately minimized before she returned to work. After a few minutes, Selphie noticed the difference in the flow of the message, and entered a code which allowed her access into the audio feeds.

"Any luck so far?" Paul asked.

"Not yet. I just got into the audio feeds. You should do the same."

She didn't even bother to listen for a response as she immediately delved into the files, searching for anything out of the ordinary. After a moment, she noticed that the feed was attached to some form of connecting code, and upon further expression, she realized to her horror what it was. Looking over her shoulder back at Paul, the expression on his face told her he had come to the same conclusion as she had.

"They've hacked into our systems…" Paul muttered out loud. "Which means that they were looking for something within the city."

"And whatever it is…" Selphie finished. "We've been leading them straight to it."

* * *

**_04:07:24_**

* * *

Nida Kent sat in the pilot seat of the Ragnarok; the Estharian ship that was given to Balamb Garden to thank them for their efforts in the previous war. The ship was in the shape of a tailless red dragon, metallic in make with no tail, which was appropriate as it was based on a Centarian Dragon myth. The hanger was located at the back of the ship, with a sliding door and a platform summoning itself down, allowing the occupants to enter or exit safely. There were four overhead windows situated on the ship, three on what would be considered the arms and the body of the ship, and one on the head. The head was in actuality the cockpit, whereas the body was the conference room, and the other two were air rooms, which astronauts had used to leave the ship while it was in space.

Glancing at the map located to his left, he heard the lift activate, which meant that Quistis was returning to the cockpit. In all honestly, Nida didn't mind having someone else tag along on the rescue mission; in fact, he believed that it would drown out the all-too quiet atmosphere that usually held residence within the large ship. However, ever since they had left Balamb Garden, Quistis had been quiet, possibly trying to either figure out why Esthar would place the blame on someone who had been stationed on the opposite side of the world for the last two months, or sorting through her own personal feelings. Everyone in Garden had known all about Quistis' crush on Squall, even before the aloof teenager had figured it out (which Nida held no doubt that he had), but as soon as Rinoa had come into the picture, Quistis had backed off. Nida had no idea exactly how the other SeeD felt about that, not having voiced too much of an opinion on the matter, and the pilot understood that it was none of his business. Instead, his job was the fly the former spaceship towards Deling City.

Nida wasn't a very tall person, just barely reaching Quistis' height. He had short dark hair and dark eyes and was dressed in his SeeD uniform, similar to Quistis', albeit a pair of black pants replaced the skirt that the girls had to wear.

"How much longer to Deling City?" Quistis asked, breaking the silence and sitting in the co-pilot's seat. She too had been trained to pilot the Ragnarok, and she understood that it was her duty to assist the pilot if anything went wrong.

Mentally sighing in relief, Nida glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "We left in pretty good time, so I'd say our ETA would be about an hour, two at the most."

"Can't the Ragnarok go any faster?" She asked.

Nida shook his head in response. "'Fraid not, but it's the absolute best we've got. You know as well as I do that any other ship or plane would take about a day and a half to reach Deling City. Esthar's technology is far more advanced than that of any other civilization. We're just lucky that no one was using Ragnarok for a mission."

Quistis frowned in response. "But Esthar's ships are even more advanced than the Ragnarok!"

"I know that. The Ragnarok is about twenty years old now."

"Which makes Esthar's ships faster." She slumped in her seat. "The Estharians might actually be on their way to Deling as we speak.

"Don't worry; the Headmaster has probably warned the team by now. And besides," Nida said. "How do you know that the Estharians are heading towards Deling? They might think that Squall's still in Garden and plan to arrest him there."

Quistis nodded, but Nida could tell that what he had just said hadn't made her feel any better. As far as Nida knew, Quistis became depressed very easily, and it was difficult to get her to look on the bright side of things when that happened.

Suddenly, the light located in the center of the dashboard in front of the two began to blink on and off, the red light illuminating the room when lit. Nida knew exactly what it was; someone was contacting them and from the looks of it, it appeared that the transmission was coming from Balamb Garden. Thankful for a distraction from the depressing conversation, Nida flipped a switch and initiated contact.

"Ragnarok, please respond." The headmaster said from his end.

"This is Ragnarok, we hear you, over." Nida said in as neutral sounding a tone he could gather.

"The situation just became a lot worse."

Quistis leaned forward in her seat as Nida blinked. "Sir?"

"The President of Esthar just contacted me a moment ago. The Estharian General has taken it upon himself to dispatch a team of soldiers and is heading towards the city."

"Sir, how is it possible that they know where the target is?" Quistis asked.

"We are currently looking into that, but we suspect that foul play had a part in it."

"You mean there could be a traitor?" Nida jumped in.

"That is a possibility, but I suspect that someone from within Estharian territory managed to hack into our audio directory and listened into the call I had with Laguna when this situation initially began."

"So what you're saying is despite the reasoning, they know that Squall is in Deling and is heading in their direction?"

"Affirmative." Cid said. "Which means that you had better hurry and find Squall before the Estharians do. According to Laguna, they should arrive in Deling within the next five minutes."

"But sir, we're flying at the fastest speed the Ragnarok can move at, and it's still going to take us over an hour to arrive." Quistis said.

"I know Quistis. Hopefully, they won't find him before you arrive."

This time, it was Nida's turn to frown. Things had just become more complicated than he had hoped they would be.

* * *

"So the Estharians are currently en-route to the city," Caraway confirmed. "and they're using the radio frequency we're currently using with the Ground Team to lead them here." 

Both Selphie and Paul nodded their affirmation. It had been barely five minutes ago that they had discovered the problem, and both appeared grim. "Which means that we can't use the same frequency to contact them, otherwise we'll just be leading the Estharians straight to them."

"Do you have any idea why they would be tracking this team?" Caraway asked.

"No idea at all sir,"Paul jumped in. "We only discovered that they hacked into our systems a few minutes ago. According to estimates, they've entered the country, and will probably within the city limits in a matter of minutes."

"How many minutes?"

"Less than ten." Selphie answered. "I'm absolutely positive."

Sighing, Caraway clasped his hands together in deep thought. "There has to be a reason why the Ground team is being targeted. The Estharians wouldn't act without a reason." Looking up at the two, he collected his thoughts before speaking again. "Selphie, take three Galbadian Soldiers with you. You'll be heading towards the Ground Team's location. Since we can't contact them through radio without tipping off the Estharians, then we have no choice but to deliver the message personally. You know their current location. I want you to leave within the next few minutes. Time is off the essence and we have none to waste."

Selphie nodded before saluting and exiting the room. Caraway then turned his attention towards Paul. "Paul, I want you to track Selphie's movements through the camera feeds. We can't afford to lose sight of her in case the Estharians try to prevent her from finding the others. Use as many people on the floor as you need."

Paul nodded once before leaving the room and returning to his module. Caraway frowned thoughtfully as he was left alone. _Why would the Estharians risk invading Galbadian Territory?_

After taking a moment to ponder the Estharians actions, he approached the far wall of his office. The room was made out of plexy-glass, with made the room durable against bullet shots. This also served to allow the President to luxury of watching his people work on the floor below him. Nodding to himself as he noticed Selphie gathering three soldiers and leaving the vicinity of the room, he also took notice that Paul had recruited some of the technicians on the floor and they all immediately went back to work. It was no longer about the President's safety, but about the invasion of Galbadia's former enemy.

Returning to his desk, he was just about to pick up the phone and patch a connection through to Balamb Garden when the phone lit up. Just as he was about to ignore it and make his call, a woman dressed in a dark purple business suit entered poked her head into the room. She had long dark hair that reached just past her shoulders and hazel eyes. "Sir, there's a call for you on line three."

Sighing, Caraway immediately picked up the phone, pressing the button that would connect him to line three. "Yes?"

"Ibrihim." A familiar sounding voice said. "We need to talk."

Caraway sighed. It was just the man he was about to call. "Headmaster Kramer. I was just about to call you. We have a situation here involving the Estharians, and we may need to establish a contract to escort them out of Galbadian Territory."

"Yes, I'm fully aware of the situation." Cid spoke. "Unfortunately, they are working against the orders of their own president."

"What's going on, Cid?" Caraway asked.

"At approximately two a.m. Estharian time, a man entered the Presidential Residence and murdered five employees in cold blood. The suspect got away before he could be apprehended."

"I fail to see how this connects with Galbadia."

"It doesn't. It seems that your country was involved because the man they are looking for is within your country. While it may not have anything to do with your government, it directly involves SeeD and, most especially, Balamb Garden."

"They believe that one of your operatives was responsible for the attack?" Caraway asked in shock. He knew that the Balamb Team stationed in Deling had had absolutely nothing to do with those attacks, mainly because they had not left Galabadian land in all the two months they had been under his authority.

"Not just anyone…" Cid continued. "They believe that Squall was directly involved. In fact, they believe he is the one responsible for conducting the murders."

"I can say, without any doubt, that he was here the entire time he has been stationed with Galbadian territory." Caraway said, shock apparent on his features. "He is not their murderer."

"The Estharian General doesn't believe this, and he's enlisted a group of soldiers to accompany him to the city." Cid explained. "He's doing this against the Estharian Presidents orders. He believes that because of Laguna's relation to Squall, that he's lost his focus on the situation."

"Well they can't touch Squall if he's under Galbadian protection." Caraway pointed out.

"Don't involve yourself in this, Ibrihim." Cid said. "This is strictly an Esthar-Garden conflict. The last thing anyone needs is for Galbadia to become involved; that would jeopardize the preparations for the Confederation even more than they have been already."

"With all due respect,Cid, Esthar dragged Galbadia into this situation when they appeared in our air space and hacked into a communication frequencies. I can't just allow them to barge into this country while I'm in charge and apprehend an agent who is currently working under Galbadian Rule. That would jeopardize the current situation that has been occurring over here."

"They did what?" Caraway could hear the frantic tone in the headmaster's voice. "That is a breach in the agreement that the countries of the world forged."

"And now you understand why I can't just stay idle in this situation." Caraway spoke with a determined tone. "So I will do whatever is within my power to aid you in whatever it is that you have planned."

There was a pause and as Caraway waited patiently for Cid to say something, he couldn't help but wonder the how Rinoa was holding up throughout all of this. Her boyfriend was being targeted by a government run by the boy's own father, for a crime he hadn't even committed.

Finally, Cid's voice returned to the conversation once again. Caraway understood that Cid was hesitant in Galbadia's involvement, as it could mean the end of peacetalks altogether, but he just could not sit back and allow his country to be invaded like this. "I've already sent the Ragnarok to the city. It should be there in less than two hours. I need you to somehow contact Squall and warn him about the Estharians as well as their current objective."

"Squall knows about the Estharians, but I certainly plan to warn him of the further details. Selphie's on her way to his location now, but she doesn't know the entire details either. I'll also warn my men of the current situation and send them over to distract them. All we need is the Estharian plane's landing co-ordinates."

"Thank you Ibrihim." Cid said sincerely.

"Just one more question, Cid." Caraway asked before the elder man could hang up. "How is Rinoa holding up through all of this?"

Caraway could hear Cid taking a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "We haven't told your daughter what is happening yet; mainly to prevent her powers from becoming unstable, but also to preserve her state of mind. We don't want to alarm her when it could all end well."

Caraway nodded to himself. He knew how Rinoa would react if she knew. She would insist on trying to help, but with her lack of control over her newly acquired powers, she might end up doing far more harm than good in the end. "Alright…try to keep it that way for as long as you can. If she finds out, then there's no need to keep it from her any longer."

"Of course."

"As for the information blockage we're currently under, I'll send someone over to warn them of the new information. Hopefully it reaches him before the Estharians do."

"I hope so as well." Cid said. "Good luck."

Caraway smiled sincerely, despite the situation. "Likewise."

* * *

Checking his watch, General Orally noted that it was currently twenty after four in the morning. However, from where they currently were, he also noted that Galbadia was approximately ten hours behind Esthar time, which explained why it was bright out considering the late hour Orally's team had just arrived from. The plane was just preparing to land in the fields just outside of the Galbadian capital, Deling City. Of course, he understood that not notifying the Galbadian Government before their arrival was a serious breech of the treaty that was signed after the Sorceress War, but he also knew that time was a luxury that they could not afford. So what if he pissed off a few Galbadians? As long as his job was completed, he figured he could sleep soundly throughout the night. 

"Sir…" the pilot said, breaking the General out of his thoughts. "We've just touched down onto firm ground."

"Excellent." Orally said. "Open the hatch in the back of the plane. My men need to stretch before we proceed with the operation."

The pilot nodded in agreement before doing as he was ordered. The General smirked as he exited the aircraft through one of the doors to the side. As he jumped the height from where the plane started onto the ground, he watched as the soldiers piled out from within the back room, stretching their limbs as they did. An hour may not have been much, but they had been stationary throughout the entire flight, so their limbs were stiff.

As soon as he figured he had granted them enough time to regain their normal movement, he called their attention, and immediately the group formed two lines in front of him, consisting of eight people front and back.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he cleared his throat before addressing his men. "You all understand why you are here today; invading a country of which peaceful ties are being produced. It is because the man who is responsible for taking the lives of five innocent human beings is in hiding from our government and it is our duty to bring him back to Esthar so that he can answer for his crimes. We are here to prevent a criminal from getting away with murder, and if we have to piss off a nation to do our jobs, then so be it.

"Everyone knows what to do in this operation." He continued. "The prisoner is to be apprehended alive to answer for his crimes. Death is too swift a punishment for him, and, like his victims, he should be made to suffer for his actions. Are you with me men?"

In response, the soldiers straightened their backs, standing as straight and rigid as they possible could before uttering the words, "Sir, we're with you, sir!"

"Good…" Orally said before he pointed off towards the city. "Fall out! I want him apprehended before the hour is up."

* * *

It had taken her a few minutes to grab a hold of the three soldiers she would need for her mission and an additional five minutes to arrive at the Shopping District of the city. Checking her watch, she realized that it was currently half past three in the afternoon, meaning that the Estharians could have arrived by then. Cursing her poor luck, she signaled for the soldiers to follow her towards the Deling City Hotel, where she knew the Ground team would be. She hoped that she had made it in time, but she knew that her chances were pretty slim. 

As they rounded the corner, Selphie immediately shifted her weight to her feet to stop her movement as she recognized the soldiers in silver and blue. Cursing mentally, she wondered if there was any chance that her presence could be left ignored when the two soldiers nearby turned and looked in her direction. Of course, she appeared to simply be a civilian; however, she knew that her cover was blown when the soldiers leveled their weapons at her and her companions. They must think that the Galbadians are here to kick them out of town… Selphie thought to herself.

The Estharian soldiers approached the group of four, and Selphie took notice of how the soldiers standing behind her began reaching for their weapons. Smirking lightly, she nodded once at them, hoping that the brawl would be enough of a distraction to allow her to find Squall.

The Estharian soldiers also seemed to notice the movement because they stopped approaching and removed the safety from their weapons. "Stay where you are or you will be shot."

Selphie rolled her eyes. Out of the times she had encountered the Galbadians in a fight, she knew that they were least likely to back down from battle, and from what she had read in the history books and witnessed in the dream world, she also knew that when faced against Esthar, they didn't pull any stops. The fact that the Confederation was coming up mattered little to them; seeing as Esthar had, without warning, invaded their country.

Everyone stayed where they were for a moment, waiting for the opposite side to make the first move. Selphie hoped that it would be soon; she didn't have any time to waste. Having had enough of waiting, Selphie began to take off in the direction of the hotel when the Estharians leveled their weapons at her. The Galbadians took this as their cue and attacked; two of which shot at the Estharians with their fire arms while the third pulled out a combat knife and lunged for the men. While they were caught up in all of this, Selphie sneaked by without anyone being the wiser. _Hopefully, I'll be able to get Squall outta here before the fight is over.

* * *

_

Paul ran as fast as his legs would carry him, all the while thankful that he had decided to begin jogging in the mornings again. The President had personally explained to him the extent of the situation and, because they could no longer communicate using radio frequencies, he had no choice but to deliver the message himself.

Stopping to catch his breath and watching as the Galbadian soldiers in front of him continued at the brisk pace they had set up, he mentally vowed to never make fun of the Galbadians' rigorous training exercises ever again. Taking in deep gulps full of precious oxygen, he ran after the trained military personnel, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up nearly as well as he would have had he been trained under the same circumstances.

Suddenly, one of the Galbadian soldiers pulled back and fell behind the technician. "We need to hurry, but our main priority is to make sure that you get to the hotel alive."

Paul nodded curtly as he continued at his current pace. He knew that his feet were going to be killing him once this afternoon was over.

* * *

**_04:44:23_**

* * *

Sheran into the elegant interior of the hotel, and she looked around herself wondering where the lone SeeD could have gone. Looking towards the left and instantly recognizing some of the soldiers that composed the Ground Team, she quickly stalked over towards them before gaining their attention. Both turned around and jumped, apparently surprised at having seen her there with them. "I thought all upcoming reports would come through communications."

"Communications are shut." Selphie said quickly. "I don't have much time to explain, but do either of you know which way Squall went? It's urgent."

"He went upstairs with Dincht and Corinth." One of the soldiers answered. "But what's going on?"

"This whole operation is shot. Enemy soldiers are heading straight for the hotel, and I need you guys to gather all of the Galbadian soldiers you can to defend the perimeter unless Squall or myself tell you otherwise. I'm under official orders from the President himself."

After both soldiers saluted the small SeeD in a sign that they understood the duress of the situation, Selphie immediately headed towards the elevator that would lead her to the second floor. However, just before she made it towards the golden make of the contraption, the receptionist stepped into her path, stopping her. "You can't go up there without permission." She said. "We already have three troublemakers upstairs and, to be honest, we've received many complaints about your presence."

"Look…" Selphie said, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry that your business is suffering because of our investigation, but right now we have important matters. I have a job to do, and I'm not gonna let some busy body stop me."

The woman gasped at being called such a thing but had no time to react as Selphie darted past the elevator and raced up the stairs. Of course the woman had a few choice words to shout out after the girl, but Selphie paid them no mind as she took the stairs two at a time.

Upon reaching the top, she stopped as she took in the hallway. A red rug stretched from one end of the hallway, past the stairs and towards the other end, darting down corners and corridors to keep the interior constant. The walls were made of a substance that resembled marble, painted a sharp white tone. The only thing on the second floor that was not painted white or lined red were the doors, which were painted a deep brown to resemble the wood it was made of.

Selphie looked in either direction that she could take, frowning when she realized she had absolutely no idea which way to go. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, she took turns pointing left and right in the tune of a melody she could barely recall from her childhood before finally stopping at the left hand side. With her mind made up, she ran down the hallway, hoping to find Squall before the Estharians showed up.

Luck was on her side as she noticed Squall directing twoGalbadian soldiers further down the hall. Silently cheering, she raced down the hall, calling out the dark haired teenager's name as she did. Sure enough, Squall turned to the sound of his name and appeared genuinely shocked at her arrival before masking it with a neutral expression. "I thought we were keeping contact over headset."

"Change of plans…" Selphie said, stopping in front of Squall and catching her breath. "An Estharian aircraft appeared on our radar, and after a little digging, we found out that they were on they're way towards the city."

"Why wasn't my team notified?" Squall asked.

"Because we also found out that they hacked into the frequency we used to contact you guys and were leading them straight to your location." She finished. "I was sent here to warn you guys, but they've already landed. I ran into a couple of them almost ten minutes ago."

"So you know why they're here?"

"No, but we figured that they're after something, possibly from your team."

Just before Squall could ask another question, one of the Galbadian soldiers Squall had talked to a moment ago re-emerged from within a room. "Sir, there's a strange looking device inside of this room, but I can't tell what it is."

Frowning, Squall entered the room, with Selphie a few steps behind him. The décor of the room was as elegant as the hallway; white walls and a red rug, with a couple of beds stationed on the right hand side of the room. Dark beige blankets were placed atop of the beds, with white sheets underneath them, the head posts of the beds both painted the same wooden brown as the doors. The ceiling had a hanging lamp dangling from the center, and on the left hand side of the room were a dark wooden desk, dresser and television set. Located at the far end of the room was a balcony with the same dark wooden coloured table seated in the very center. Two chairs sat on opposite sides of the table, facing one another.

The Galbadian soldier led them towards the bedside dresser which stood between both beds and knelt down in front of it. While the top four drawers were closed shut, the fifth drawer remained open, and inside of it was a strange looking object. It was round in the center with straight bars crisscrossing behind the object in the form of an 'x'. The object was painted the same kind of brown; however it appeared out of place inside of the room.

Both SeeDs knelt down behind the Galbadian, who turned to address them. "I found this while I was searching for any hint that the target was staying here."

"Huh?" Selphie asked, blinking.

"When we arrived here, we searched every room inside of this building, and the only rooms that had anyone inside were paying patrons." Squall explained. "We searched all of their rooms for weaponry and the like, but we found nothing."

"Meaning the assassin fled the scene before you guys arrived?" Selphie asked, to which Squall nodded.

"Either that or he set it up to look like he was here."

"Mega bummer…" Selphie said, her shoulders slumping.

"But I have absolutely no idea what that thing is." The soldier continued. "Never seen anything like it." He reached into the drawer and picked up the object. He was just about to examine it up close when a beeping noise sounded from it. Both Selphie and Squall exchanged puzzled glances as the Soldier noted that red numbers appeared and began to flash on the miniature screen set in the very center. "Oh, I get it…" The soldier said after a moment. "It's some kind of clock. I wonder where it came from."

The numbers started at what appeared to be five o'clock, but as the flashing suddenly stopped, the numbers began to count. But instead of counting forward, they started backwards, changing to read four fifty-nine, and moving backwards from that. "Whoa…" The Galbadian said before Selphie's jaw dropped in realization.

"That's no clock…" She muttered, exchanging glances with Squall. "That's a bomb…and it looks like it's set to go off in less than five minutes."

Immediately after hearing this, the Galbadian soldier dropped the device and rose to his feet, backing as far away from it as possible. "I've never seen a fucking bomb like that in my life!"

"It's definitely not a common kind, but that might mean that it packs a punch when it goes off." Selphie explained.

Squall grabbed the device and tucked it underneath his arm before turning to address the other two occupants in the room. "Tell everyone to evacuate the building! We need to get everyone out of here, now!"

"But what about you?" Selphie asked.

"I'll try to get the bomb as far away as I can. And don't bother trying to argue with me, because there is no time! Get the civilians and the rest of the Ground Team out of here, now!"

The Galbadian soldier didn't even bother to salute as he raced out the room, shouting at the top of his lungs to vacate the premises. Selphie headed towards the door before turning around and addressing her childhood friend. "Don't you die on us." She stated.

Squall nodded in response as Selphie ran out of the room, intent of preventing as many casualties as she could.

* * *

The General smirked as they finally arrived at their destination. Although no more transmissions had been able to be traced by their leading technician, he had broken his squad into separate teams to scour the heart of the city. One of the places they would search was the Hotel located in the center of the shopping plaza. 

Tapping on the button located on the side of his helmet, he waited as the feed reached the rest of his squad. "Keep searching, but keep close enough to the hotel as you can. I have a feeling we'll find what we're searching for here."

Receiving acknowledgement for his order, he quickly shut off the contact and was just about to order his men forward when he realized that the Galbadian soldiers that were beginning to emerge from within the building had spotted him and his team. Charging towards them, Esthar's natural born enemies pulled out their weapons and leveled them at Orally and his team. "What business does Esthar have in Galbadia?" One of the soldiers shouted. "Depending on your answer, you will be asked to leave."

Growling to himself, he was about to order his men to engage the enemy when he spotted movement from one of the upstairs windows. Turning his full attention towards the building he recognized the figure climbing out of the window. The man had dark hair and was dressed in a grey over jacket and a pair of blue faded jeans and black boots. He had something tucked underneath his arm and was currently scaling it faster than any normal being could ever hope to move.

Orally's eyes narrowed once he realized what that meant; Squall Leonhart was junctioned with Guardian Forces. Since Dr. Odine resided in Esthar, information concerning Guardian Forces and their powers was within reach of the Estharian Army, since, after all, the Sorceress Adel had govern the city before. In fact, the Guardian Force research was responsible for a lot of the magic cloaking capabilities that had been installed into their uniforms. In short, the response to such upgrades during the first war had made it so that harmful magical energies no longer harmed them in battle.

Signaling to three of his soldiers, he discretely directed their attention towards the SeeD, who had just reached the top of the building, and signaled for them to follow him. They nodded in response and immediately activated the stealth features on their uniforms, making it difficult for them to be seen by the naked eye.

The Galbadians hesitated upon the disappearance of three of the soldiers, which gave the Estharians the edge they needed to attack.

* * *

Just as Zell and his comrade were heading down the hallway towards Squall's location, they noticed several people, both Galbadian soldiers and residence of the hotel, running towards the stairs as fast as their legs could carry them. Exchanging glances, Zell shrugged before turning his attention his gaze back at the retreating soldiers. "Is there something we don't know about?" he asked while the other man shrugged. 

"Maybe they found something." The other SeeD, Ezack, commented.

"I don't think so." Zell shook his head. "They wouldn't be moving that quickly if they had. Not to mention it's not just our guys who're running away. Looks like something's got them spooked, but what it is I'm not sure."

It was at that instant Zell recognized the young girl running after a lone soldier. She had dark hair pulled back into a pony-tail and emerald green eyes. She was short in height, and was dressed in a yellow halter top underneath a blue denim jacket and a pair of black kakis. She immediately stopped in front of the two, just as the dark haired SeeD was about to search for the remaining soldiers in the building.

"No time to explain why I'm here," Selphie said quickly. "We just found a bomb in the building and we need you guys to help escort everyone outta the building!"

Ezack and Zell exchanged expressions filled with shock and horror. "Then does that mean that the target knew we would be coming?"

Selphie nodded grimly. "Yeah, but there's no time to be wondering about that. Squall says he's gonna handle the bomb, but we need to get outta here now."

"But aren't you the demolitions expert?" Ezack asked. "Shouldn't you be trying to disarm the bomb?"

"It's a foreign make. It's nothing I've ever seen before, so it could be Estharian. But we can't just stand here taking; we've gotta go!"

"But what about Squall?" Zell asked. "If he's trying to disarm it…"

"I don't think he's gonna try something like that; it's set to go off in less than five minutes! Let's move!" With that, she took off towards the stairs, Ezack running closely behind her. However, unlike Ezack, who was quickly bounding down the stairs, Selphie launched herself into the air from the banister, heading towards the ground and taking the quickest route. Chancing a look behind him, Zell mentally prayed that Squall would come out of all of this alive and bounded down the stairs after his comrades.

* * *

Squall was currently climbing the side of a building located three buildings away from the hotel. He hoped that his team had been able to get everyone out and away, but was also thankful for his junctions. The speed that was granted to him made it easier to move quickly and the strength made climbing easier as well. Finally pulling himself up onto the top of the building, he checked the timer and realized he had less than a minute left. 

Looking around him, he realized he wouldn't have enough time to get even further away and disarming it had not been an option since they first discovered what it was. It appeared to have been created from Estharian technology, but the SeeD thought it impossible. All schematics revolving around explosive devices and weaponry had been handed over during the second meeting regarding theUnited Confederation. He couldn't deny the appearance looked Estharian, but he had never seen anything like it before. What made matters worse was that their number one explosives expert hadn't even recognized it until it had been activated, so there was no one able to disarm it.

Frowning deeply, he realized that their perpetrator had been an Estharian all along, but that only meant that someone was trying to prevent the Confederation from happening. If that was the case, then it was SeeDs' job to stop it; contract or no contract.

As the timer reached the last fifteen seconds on its countdown, Squall placed the bomb on top of the building and quickly removed his jacket before wrapping it around the object. The blast would be subsided due to the bindings that held it in place and the explosion would be contained easier. Still, there was no telling how much damage would be sustained if it was allowed to detonate in a populated area.

Which was why Squall gripped the bundled device tightly in his hands, mentally counting backwards from ten. Taking in a deep breath, Squall bent in a crouch before tossing the device up into the air as high as his junctioned strength would allow him. He hoped that perhaps the bomb would make enough of a distance between it and the city before finally exploding. Still, there was the chance that it could drop back and then explode, injuring many in the process. Hitting the ground as fast as he could, he laid sprawled out onto his stomach; his hands on top of his head and shut his eyes, counting the last seconds before the bomb finally exploded.

* * *

"Is that everyone?" Selphie asked, amidst the crowd of soldiers and civilians that stood in the streets, wondering just what would happen. 

"I think so…" Zell said, while Ezack and Talle nodded in affirmation. He then glanced back at the hotel, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. "I can't believe someone'd do something like that!"

"I can't believe the target got away." Talle agreed, folding his arms across his chest.

"We can't help any of that." Selphie said. "You guys weren't here when I explained this, but…"

She was immediately cut off as the bomb detonated in the air above everyone, who reflexively fell to the ground and feebly tried to block the flying debris that was caused afterwards with their arms or hands. The SeeDs had fallen into the same position, all thoughts and conversations ceasing as the resounding echo of the explosion fell upon their ears. Looking up, Selphie caught sight of the last of the explosion in the air about thirty five feet above them. Pulling herself up to her feet slowly, she watched as her comrades did the same, their gazes also locked onto the dying fires in the sky.

"…What just happened?" Ezack asked after a moment of silence.

"Squall must've thrown the bomb into the air." Selphie said. "It makes sense because the higher in the air the bomb is, the less likely it'll cause any damages. But it still should have leveled the sector. It was pretty high up, but not that high."

"Maybe Squall did something that prevented it." Zell said. "Something to smother the explosion and to keep it enclosed."

Just as the other two SeeDs were about to say something, the clicking of weapons that sounded behind them caught their attention, as well as the attention of the civilians. Turning around, almost everyone was shocked to find a group of Estharians surrounding their location, their weapons armed and leveled at them.

"That's what I came here to tell you about…" Selphie muttered, although the men around her were still able to hear it. "They're here, and they were tracking your location through the radio frequencies that were used to establish contact between your team and headquarters."

"What the hell are they doing here!" Zell shouted, shock evident in his voice. "They're breaking the treaty that was signed between the President of Galbadia and the President of Esthar!"

"I know…" Selphie nodding in affirmation. "But I don't know why they're here; only that they're after something from your team."

"What could they possibly want?" Talle asked curiously, readying his weapons.

"I don't know." A Galbadian soldier said, stepping up behind them, his weapon raised the same as his comrades. "But if they don't leave, we'll be forced to shoot them down."

The SeeDs looked on in horror as the surrounding troops of Galbadians prepared to open fire. It wasn't just because there were civilians within the area, but also due to the past between the countries. Each one had their fair share of faults, and it appeared as if a war was going to ignite due to the soldiers' actions.

The worst part of it was if they tried to prevent the onslaught, the Galbadians would accuse them of supporting the Estharians, despite all that had happened as well as going against their contract. If they were to attack with the Galbadians, the Estharians would believe that Garden was siding with Galbadia. Either way, SeeD would be pulled into the dispute; being forced to side with one side or the other. Garden was and always would remain a neutral party, but it looked as though they wouldn't be able to stay that way for very much longer.

* * *

As Squall climbed up onto his feet, he glanced up into the sky above and sighed in relief as he recognized the remnants of the explosion. His idea had worked and in the end; no damages were made and no people were harmed. The only casualty had been the grey jacket, but he was certain that it wouldn't bother him compared to what was spared in the end. 

Heading over towards the edge of the building, he decided to check on the civilians. Hopefully they weren't in an uproar about what happened. He had stopped trying to deny that the bomb had been of Estharian make; one that had either been purposely kept from intelligence reports or one that had been made under the nose of the government itself; he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he needed to get this information back to Garden as soon as possible.

Leaning over the edge of the building, he noticed with dismay that the Estharian soldiers that had arrived in the city were currently in the midst of a battle against the Galbadian soldiers. Multiple fights had broken out between the two sides, and the civilians that had been in the area appeared to be scurrying away as fast as they could. He couldn't make out any of his own comrades within the chaos, and he figured that they were probably wondering what to do, given the circumstances.

Frowning, he realized that the job to get his teams' act together had fallen upon him once again. As the Squad Leader, Squall was obligated to decide the best course of action in any kind of situation, and it was one of those things that he hated about the job. He hated having people rely on him for an answer, and he especially hated being responsible for the wellbeing of others, but he knew he had a job to do and it was not to question the judgment that had been made by his superiors.

As he prepared to climb back down from the building, he was suddenly thrown onto the ground by a blow to the face that he hadn't seen coming. Rubbing at his jaw, he surveyed his surroundings, frowning when he didn't seen anything. Slowly pulling himself to his feet, he found that someone had grabbed him from behind, his arms being raised as if by their own accord. As he was about to break the hold, another invisible fighter hit him square in the gut, stunning the SeeD as the wind got knocked out of him.

It seemed that the enemy that he was fighting had stopped his assault when he heard footsteps coming from his left. Turning his head in the direction of the sound, he found, to his shock, that he could see the person heading towards him. The figure turned out to be an Estharian soldier, dressed in the silver and purple uniform that they were famous for. It made sense now to the SeeD; the only country in the world who possessed cloaking and camouflage capabilities was Esthar.

Just as Squall was about to question the situation, the soldier stopped in front of him, leveling his rifle and hitting Squall over the head with it, stunning him once again, and with the stars that bounced in his eyes, his vision began to blur and wave. Laughter was heard from around him; and he wasn't sure it was amplified due to dizziness or if it was revealing the other soldier's position, since he knew where the third one was.

"That'll teach you…" the soldier said, before he, what Squall assumed, reversed his weapon and aimed the barrel directly at Squall's face. This action confused him immensely, as he hadn't thought the soldier would use such force to obtain whatever it was they were looking for. It was as if Adel had returned to power, but that was impossible, seeing as his team was the one to kill her.

Frowning, he realized the soldier holding him tightened his grip on the SeeD before a voice coming from behind him spoke to the soldier in front of him. "You remember we're supposed to bring him alive, right?"

Squall blinked in confusion, wondering why they would need him alive. _Probably to lead them to whatever it is they're looking for…_ he thought to himself.

"Yeah, yeah…" The soldier said, his weapon still aimed at the SeeD as a second one came into view. In his hands was a silver rope, which was probably made out of the same material the Estharian uniforms were. "Squall Leonhart…under orders from the Estharian Government, you are hereby under arrest."

* * *

**The Time is now 5 a.m.

* * *

**


	4. 4th Hour

_

* * *

_

**The Following takes place between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

* * *

**

The light on the dashboard of the Ragnarok began to blink once more as it alerted its two passengers of another transmission. Nida immediately flipped the dial that would patch him into contact with the second party, and knew who it was even before doing so. "This is Ragnarok, over."

"I'm afraid I don't have good news to deliver." The headmaster's voice clearly stated from his end. "From the readouts that we've received from the President of Galbadia, Estharian soldiers have already arrived within the city limits. I don't know how far away from the Ground Team they are, but it could only be a matter of time before they reach the heart of the city and secure it."

Nida and Quistis both exchanged worried glances before turning their attention back towards the transmission. "But we're barely an hour away from the city!" Nida remarked. "There's no way that we'll get there in time! And I'm piloting the Ragnarok as fast as I can!"

"I just hope that Squall is able to keep away from them until we get there." Quistis said. "He should be able to. He's not incapable of stealth."

"But there's no guarantee that our people over there even know that they're there already." Nida argued.

"Nida's correct." Cid said from where he was. "Judging from what I've learned from President Caraway, they haven't been able to make contact with their team due to the fact that Esthar managed to tap into their radio feeds, so they've sent a messenger to meet with them. There's no telling how long it will take for the messenger to deliver his message."

Quistis frowned to herself as she turned her attention towards the window, watching the ocean beneath them pass them by. _Squall…please get out__ of there before the Estharians can capture you.

* * *

_

Squall blinked twice before staring almost dumbly at the soldier who stood before him. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb." The soldier snapped, before shifting his head to the side. Almost immediately afterwards, the other two Estharian soldiers revealed their present locations. While one still maintained his grip on the SeeD, the other stood off to the side, his hand secured on the hilt of his own weapon. "You know what you did." The soldier then turned to his comrade. "Call the General. We've caught the target."

_So they were after me the entire time…_ Squall thought to himself. _All of this time, the reason they invaded Galbadian soil was to bring me with them back to Esthar. But why? _

For a brief moment as the soldier did as he was told to do, Squall considered allowing them to capture him and learning more about their objectives, but brushed the notion aside as quickly. He already had an objective to oversee; the wellbeing of the President of Galbadia, and he couldn't allow that mission to be jeopardized by Esthar's meddling, no matter the reason.

A multiple of ideas sprung to mind as Squall brushed them aside, trying to determine the quickest and most efficient method of escape was. He would be willing to sort all of this all out once his operation was completed and once he came into contact with Garden, but in the meantime, he had a job to do.

Most likely sensing the SeeD's apprehension, the soldier tightened his grip on Squall's arms. "Don't even think about it." He snarled. "We all know that you can't use your weapon without the use of your arms."

"Who said anything about using my gunblade?" Squall muttered. The soldier apparently heard because he made a confused sound before the back of Squall's head collided with the man's nose. The soldier released his prisoner to cup at his face, blood beginning to stream down past his mouth before Squall grabbed a hold of his arm and flung him into the second soldier, who had just finished contacting his superior. The third guard immediately began to shoot, bullets flying off the rooftop as the SeeD dodged them, thankful for the enhanced speed that his junctions granted him. Within the time it took to scratch your nose, he had reached the soldier, lifting the barrel of the weapon so that it shot up into the sky before clocking him in the head with his own forehead. The soldier was immediately knocked unconscious as the bullets began their descent back towards the rooftop.

Backflipping away so that the bullets wouldn't hit him, he immediately swan-dived off of the roof and grabbed a hold of a flag pole that was attached to the side of a nearby building. Turning his attention back towards the chaos that ensued within the streets of Deling City, he began to climb down from the side of the building, intent on finding his comrades.

* * *

They had finally been able to calm the civilians down enough to direct them back inside of the hotel and were prepared to protect the perimeter. Ezack and Talle had been told to stay inside of the building, while Selphie and Zell stayed outside and tried to herd the rest of the civilians indoors. It appeared that once the Estharians made their entrance, all thoughts concerning the safety of their citizens had left their heads and the battle of blazing fire-arms ensued. The SeeDs had been at a loss as to what they were to do when Ezack had suggested they lead the civilians into the safety of the building. 

But now that everyone had been moved within the building, the SeeDs found themselves back where they had started; not knowing what they should do. Galbadian and Estharian Soldiers were not pulling any stops against their opponents and, although Esthar was lacking in number, both sides seemed to be holding their own against each other.

Selphie closed her eyes, calling forth the magical energies that lay dormant within her mind and assumed her casting stance, standing on the tip of her right foot with her left leg bent at the knee, and her arms stretched in a three o'clock stance. White and pink energies surrounded a group of the conflicting soldiers and pulled them apart, white feather wings appearing on their shoulders.

Zell followed the same examples, casting shell and protect spells on each conflicting party, so as to prevent them from harming each other. Frowning as he continued this practice, he turned on Selphie who nearly fell off-balance due to the position she constantly chose to cast in. "This isn't working at all! Sure, some of them can't hit each other anymore, but these spells aren't gonna last forever!"

"I know that!" Selphie shouted back at him. "But do you have another idea that might split them up for good?"

Zell opened his mouth to respond, but immediately snapped it shut. Selphie had a very valid point. Although temporary, it was the best bet they had. They could attempt to physically draw them apart, but that would only cause more harm than good. Looking up thoughtfully, his frown turned into a wide grin. "It's Squall!" He said to Selphie.

The Trabian SeeD looked away from the soldiers she had just sent floating up into the air to see Squall scaling down the side of the building. He was missing the Galbadian jacket he had been issued, but that didn't worry her in the least. "Squally!" she said, jumped forward and wrapping her arms around his mid section. "You're okay!"

"Selphie…" Squall sighed, frowning as he did. Zell bit back a snorted chuckle as Selphie relinquished her hold on the other boy. "I thought I said not to call me that."

"Sorry, but we were really worried about you!" Selphie exclaimed, Zell nodding to give emphasis. "And as you can see, the Estharians are here, and they're fighting with the Galbadians!"

"Yeah, I know." Squall stated. "I ran into some of them up on the roof."

Zell slammed the fist he had balled using his left hand into the palm of his right one, growling as he did. "This is fucking insane! What the hell are we supposed to do now? If we help the Galbadians protect their territory, then the Estharians'll think that we're siding with Galbadia!"

"And if we help the Estharians, then we'll be accused of working with them." Selphie finished, sighing as she did. "Normally, this wouldn't be a problem…if we were prepared for it! And we still don't know why the Estharians are here or who they're after in the first place!"

"I already know all of that. But we need to contact the President and alert him to the situation." Squall stated. "And it looks like we're not getting past very easily."

"Why?" Zell said. "And who're they after?" He instantly regretted it once Squall's expression appeared grim.

"Me."

* * *

**_05:19:45_**

* * *

The doors to the Estharian Presidential Office burst open, startling the occupants within. All eyes turned towards the brunette who marched into the room, hands balled into fists on either side of her as she stopped just in front of the desk. Her hair was short, barely reaching her chin and her light brown eyes were narrowed in anger. She was dressed in one of the Estharian robes, made from a creamy white material with a blue strip running down the center. 

"Uncle Laguna!" Shouted Ellone Loire as her arms folded across her chest. "What exactly is going on here?"

Laguna blanched at the young girl as his two confidants, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac, merely exchanged glances among one another. Kiros Laguna and, later on, Ward had alllearned the hard way that whenever Ellone was upset or angry about something, someone was going to hear about it in the end, or the guilty party was going to get what was coming to them.

After nodding to each other, Kiros and Ward both placed their handsatopLaguna's shoulders before backing away from the both of them, Laguna whirling around as soon as he felt the contact and glaring balefully at his two best friends. "Gee thanks you guys!" Laguna muttered to them. "What ever happened to 'friends stick together through thick and thin'?"

"This is a bit too thick for me." Kiros said. Ward made a facejust asKiros looked over and returned his attention to Laguna. "And Ward says you're on your own this time."

Sighing, Laguna turned his attention back towards his livid niece and winced as she continued to glare at the three of them. "What exactly is it that you're talking about?" he asked, beginning to feel the beginnings of a leg cramp.

"I'm talking about this business with the murders that happened earlier tonight." Ellone answered. "I woke up to get a drink of water, and what happens? I overhear two of the guards stationed outside of my room talking about a murder that happened, and that they think Squall is responsible! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life!"

Laguna sighed. He had actually been hoping that he could have explained it to her in the morning when the entire mess had been sorted out, but it appeared as though luck was not on his side this time. What was worse was she found out that her adopted brother was involved and being accused of the crime.

Leaning back in his chair, Laguna took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Kiros, could you close the door? I don't want anyone else to overhear what I have to say."

Kiros nodded once before heading towards the double doors that lead out into the hall before closing and locking them. As soon as that was done with, Laguna removed his reading glasses before leaning forward in his chair once more. "Okay, Ellone, you seem to some of what happened. Someone entered the building around 2 in the morning and killed five people within 45 minutes before the soldiers were able to find him. He escaped and disappeared right afterwards."

Taking another deep breath to maintain his composure, he continued with the explanation. "The soldiers are in the middle of examining the murder weapon, a knife, that had been left behind when the killer escaped, but the guard who was stationed at the front gate identified Squall as the only person who entered the building before the murders took place."

"But you don't believe that he's capable of doing such a terrible thing, right?" Ellone asked, her voice cracking under the duress that her tone had taken on. "You know that he didn't do it."

Laguna nodded in agreement. "Of course I know he wouldn't do anything like that, especially in cold blood. But the government doesn't seem to think so and the General, without my permission, took a group of soldiers with him to bringSquall here for questioning anyway. Last I heard, they were heading to Balamb Garden, but he's not there right now, so they shouldn't find him."

"How do you know that?" Ellone asked.

"Because I contacted Garden to try and warn him, but the Headmastertold me that he's on a mission somewhere in Galbadia. They couldn't possibly find him before Cid warns him what's going on."

Just as he finished speaking, the panel next to the door beeped in response to someone entering the correct passcode and keycard required and the door was once again pushed open. This time, the figure entering the room was one of a short stature, barely reaching five and a half feet. He was dressed in the Estharian robes as well, only they differed from the civilian style by being purple in colour with a black stripe running down the center. He also wore the hood up over his head, nearly shielding his face from view. In one of his arms he held a clipboard and appeared to be gripping it rather tightly as he stormed into the room. As Kiros tried to bar him access, he was pushed aside and the short man approached Laguna's desk as Ellone moved over towards Laguna's side, still weary of the Estharians in general.

Laguna understood her feelings about them. He knew that she held no grudge towards the populace of the technologically advanced city, but the fact was that Estharianshadmurdered her parents in an attempt to kidnap her while she was still so very young, and she would never forget that it had been the council (under Adel's command of course) who had ordered the constant raids in Winhill. He didn't blame her, and grasped her hand in his reassuringly as he prepared to hear what the man had to say for him.

"Sir." The man in purple spoke curtly, and Laguna had a sudden sinking feeling that something was very wrong. "I just came in here to reveal to you the results of evidence team's inspection of the weapon. Instead, I overhear that you _willingly_ gave warning to the people who are harbouring theperpetrator that the Estharians knowhe killed those people. I honestly don't know what to think."

Laguna rose from his seat, surprising Ellone in the progress, but maintained his grip of her hand, for reassurance purposes. "First of all, he's my son. I think I would have the right to at least let him know what is going on. Secondly, how do you know that he even did it? How do you know that the guard wasn't mistaken when he identified him?"

"He appeared very convinced of who the man entering the presidential residence was." The man argued back.

"People aren't perfect." Laguna said. "They make mistakes."

"As I can see that you have already, with all due respect, sir." The man argued back, and just before Laguna could protest the comment, the man placed the clipboard down on top of his desk. "Those are the results of the examination. I'd say that there was no mistake, as the team themselves checked over the murder weapon three times, and came up with the exact same conclusions."

Laguna picked up the clipboard and looked through the report, flipping the page over when he was finished reading that portion. When he was done, his eyes widened, and he returned all the pages in order, re-reading the documentation over again.

"I assure you, Mr. President, there hasn't been a mistake." The man said. "That is the result of the examination. The weapon is of SeeD origin, and, if I recall, only SeeD personnel are authorized to use such a weapon."

"How do you know it was really him though?" Kiros spoke up. "How do you know that someone didn't just use it so that we'd pit the blame on him?"

"With the witness's testimony as well as the weapon, I'd say that it's very unlikely that such a thing happened." The man explained. "I highly doubt that anyone who has not been fully trained as a SeeD can fake the movements of one. Security detail said it themselves. The man they were pursuing knew exactly what it was he was doing, as well as how to go about it without being spotted or detected. And as the president so kindly stated, 'People aren't perfect; they make mistakes'. It just so happens that tonight was his time to mess up, and thus he was caught sooner than he probably expected. Not surprising, in my opinion."

Turning around, he headed back towards the door before turning to stare at the president of Esthar once more. "And, if I may be so bold, sir, I believe that you need to set your priorities straight. Although family is very important to everyone, if a member of that family, regardless of who they may be, does something wrong, then they must suffer the consequences of their actions."

With that said, the man in purple exited through the doors, leaving the four alone.

* * *

Squall, Selphie and Zell had, for the most part, managed to keep from being detained by the brawl that the Estharian and Galbadian soldiers were currently involved in. More than once did they have to dodge the blade of a sword or a blast of magical energy that was shot astray. Squall had told them exactly what had occurred up on the rooftop once the bomb had been dealt with, and neither SeeD appeared to be too impressed. Zell had even gone so far as to comment how ungrateful the Estharians were, since it was Squall who lead the charge and saved the world from Ultimecia's time compression, but Selphie had been adamantthat Laguna would never allow any of this to happen without a good reason. 

As much as Squall had hated to admit it, he had to agree with. Laguna may not have appeared it, but he did know what to do when a situation called for it, even if it meant putting his family second. The people of Esthar needed his guidance and that had been a priority to him since the end of the first Sorceress War, up until he was reunited with Ellone.

After Ultimecia had been defeated, Laguna had approached Squall and told him everything. The reason behind Ellone's sending him to the past as Laguna every single time, and through all the cryptic messages that had been tossed the teenager's way ever since it had happened. Unfortunately, it had also appeared as though Laguna had been 17 years too late. Squall was already considered to be an adult, and both were two very different people with very different views. While Squall preferred to go by the book and factual evidence, Laguna was more of an instinctual person, who preferred the ride by the seat of his pants. They disagreed far too much on far too many things and, in the end, they had had a falling out. Neither had spoken to the other since then, and Squall had accepted that they were just far too different to ever get along outside of business.

But even Squall had to admit that Laguna knew how to run his own government effectively (hell, he'd been doing it for the better part of twenty years now) and he knew that there was no way Laguna would call an invasion with such a small amount of soldiers for no reason at all. This made him suspect that this whole attack was done outside of his consent and that whatever it was that they suspected him of doing wasvery serious. They would have to figure out a way to contact Caraway and the Headmaster and make the necessary preparations in order to resolve the situation with as little damage as possible, what with the upcoming Confederation.

Just as Squall was about to suggest that they head back to the Presidential residence, he heard someone calling the group of three. When they turned their attention towards the sound, they noticed that three Galbadian soldiers and a sandy haired male with hazel eyes approaching them. He was dressed in a sort of business casual fashion, with a pair of black dress pants and a simple looking light green dress shirt. He also wore a pair of running shoes, which looked out of place with the rest of what he was wearing. Just as the man was about to reach them, however, the three Galbadian Soldiers jumped right into battle against a couple of Estharians who were prepared to take the man down.

Squall instantly recognized the man as Paul Dobs, the man in charge of the air space section of the Presidential Residence's technical team. But why he was running towards them in the midst of a battle was beyond him. Finally, Paul stopped a mere few feet in front of them, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Hyne…I…hate…running…" he said through his huffing and puffing.

"Paul?" Selphie asked, curiously. "What're you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be tracking our location."

"The President called me in and asked me to send a message to you guys." Paul explained after he finished catching his breath. "He said he got a call from your headmaster saying that Estharians were on the way." Looking around, he took in his surroundings. "Man, he wasn't kidding…"

"Paul!" Selphie shouted, in an attempt to bring him back on track.

"Oh, right…sorry…the details." Paul said sheepishly. "Well, he told me to tell you," he directed his glance towards Squall. "to head for the city limits on the western side to meet up with the Ragnarok, which should be there at 3pm. The pilot will take you to Garden so that you can sort out what to do after that."

"Garden knew about this already?" Selphie asked. "When did they hear about this?"

"Just after 7 p.m., Balamb Time." Paul answered. "The Ragnarok should arrive within the hour, so you should probably get moving already."

"But we don't even know why Squall's being targeted." Selphie protested. "The Estharians told him something about him doing something, but we have no idea what it was."

"Oh that?" Paul said. "The President told me to fill you in about that. The Estharians' think –"

There was a cloud crack in the sky that interrupted Paul's explanation, which also diverted all of the fighting soldiers' attention from one another, and even the SeeDs looked up to see what it was. When they didn't see anything that would cause that sound right away, Selphie looked back down and her expression turned to one of horror. "PAUL!"

Squall and Zell turned their attention away from the sound and looked to see Paul collapse onto the ground, blood seeping through the material of his shirt in the back. Selphie immediately rushed to his side, checking his pulse as quickly as she could. "He's still alive!" Selphie shouted at her comrades. "But he needs help fast!"

Something suddenly caught Squall's eye and he glanced up, watching as a man running along the rooftops struggled to get away, carrying something that appeared to be shifting his weight. The SeeD quickly grabbed a hold of the binoculars that still sat around his neck and looked through the lenses, hoping to make out the object. When he zoomed in on the retreating figure, he instantly recognized the object and mentally identified it as a custom sniper rifle, like the one Irvine had been given during the assassination attempt at the start of the recent Sorceress war.

"Squall, whatcha lookin' at?" Zell asked, in barely repressed rage.

Pointing upwards Squall directed Zell's attention towards the rooftop. "Sniper. Up on the roof!"

Zell followed Squall's line of vision and watched as the sniper jumped over onto another rooftop. The blonde's eyes narrowed intently and he balled his fists together.

"We need to catch up to him…" Squall stated. "He may lead us to the contact. No matter what, we've still got a mission to complete."

"With pleasure." Zell growled before he rushed through the massive mob that had been, a mere moment prior, fighting amongst themselves. This made things easier for the brawler as he quickly pushed and shoved his way through the masses, jump up onto top of a roof cover and began scaling the building in pursuit of the sniper.

Squall went to follow him, but was stopped when Selphie rose to her feet and barred his path. "What are you doing? You heard Paul! You need to get to the Ragnarok and meet up with the team to head back to Garden."

"What about the mission?" Squall argued.

"The mission can wait, and Zell is more than capable of catching that freak." Selphie said. "I can deal with Paul until I get him to the hospital. But in the meantime, we can't let the Estharian's grab you. You have your orders, now go on!"

Squall took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He had a mission objective to complete, but on the other hand, Selphie was absolutely right. Checking his watch, he realized that the Ragnarok was going to be there in a little over twenty minutes and he needed to be there when they showed up. Those were the orders that the Headmaster had set up, and he would be damned if he were going to disobey them, even if it did mean leaving his team behind.

Looking up and noticing that the Estharian soldiers were currently distracted, he nodded quickly to Selphie before darting into the Alley, easily climbing up and over the dead end that barred him entry and heading straight to the west as quickly as his GF enhanced legs could carry him, leaving Selphie behind to tend to Paul.

* * *

To say that Zell was pissed would have been an understatement. He was downright livid and the only colour the brawler could see was red. To a degree, he knew that the enemy was probably trying to assassinate the SeeDs hired to protect the Galbadian President, but he was a man of honour. Although he understood that, just a little over four months prior, his team had conspired to snipe off the Sorceress during the parade, but at least they hadn't waited for her to have her back turned to them. He considered the act cowardly and he was itching to make them pay for it. 

Having finished climbing the side of the building and landing on the rooftop, he heading in the direction he had seen the sniper run in, thankful that he was currently junctioned with his Guardian Forces. Thanks to his enhanced vision, he was certain that the sniper wasn't going to be getting away from him, and his enhanced speed ensured that he would be able to keep up if not catch up with the assailant.

Leaping over the edge of the first rooftop and landing on the second, he continued his pace as he kept his sights on the sniper. He would be damned if he was letting the coward get away from them and since Ezack and Talle were busy inside of the hotel, Selphie was tending to an injured Paul and Squall was heading for where the Ragnarok was waiting for him, he knew that he was on his own this time. As much as he would have appreciated the backup, he was more or less relieved that he was alone on this one.

Jumping onto the next rooftop, he was suddenly struck by a stray lightning bolt cascading down from the sky. Having been caught unaware, he managed a tumble onto the upcoming rooftop and landed, albeit gracelessly, onto the ground in a crouch. Rising to stand at his full height, he inspected the area around him quickly to see where it was the thunder attack had come from, considering that it was mid day, the sky was bright and there was no sign of any ominous clouds in sight.

Just as he was about to continue tailing the sniper, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and, flipping so that he was upside down, landed onto his hands before rotating his entire body in a 360 degree spin, satisfied when he felt his feet connect with someone on either side of him. Jumping back up, he somersaulted into the air and landed gracefully on his feet, clapping his hands together as he did to dust them off. As he turned around, he noted that the two men who had attacked him were completed dressed in black, masks protecting their identies (not that Zell who recognize who they were, mind you). They were currently lying on the ground, having either had the wind knocked out of them or clutching at their stomach from where Zell had attacked. "Not much of a sneak attack guys. But I can't deal with you just yet. I'm a bit busy." Just as he was about to continue his pursuit, however, something latched onto his right leg and, with the sudden pull he hadn't been expecting, he was set colliding with the ground that was the roof.

Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he rung out his left arm to see if it was broken, and, relieved that it was, began to rise to his feet. But just as he was doing this, anotherfighter dressed completely in black appeared and placed the bottom of the palm of her right hand over the middle of the palm of her left. Zell immediately recognized the magical energies that gathered through it and cursed as he leapt into the air at the same time as the stranger placed his palms into the ground, causing the roof top to split apart.

Looking back down, Zell sighed in relief that he had pretty quick reflexes but when he looked up, he cursed again as another man in black suddenly appeared behind him. The stranger flipped himself upside down and, before Zell could properly block the attack, sent a heel slamming down onto the top of Zell's skull, forcing him to fall back down towards the rooftop. Thinking fast, he grabbed a hold of his left wrist and bent his fingers and thumb at the knuckles before pushing forward, magical energy also appearing in the palm of his own hands.

With a resounding whoosh, the aero spell did what it was supposed to do, using the force of wind to propel his body back up into the air andpreventing the brawler fromslamming through the ground below. Flying back up towards his now descending opponent, he grabbed the man in a headlock and propelled the both of them back down towards the broken slabs of stone and brick. Bracing himself for the pain that would certainly come from such a maneuver, both males slammed through the debris, landing unceremoniously within the bathroom of the apartment owner. The woman, who was currently taking a shower, screamed as Zell and his assailant landed onto the tiled floor hard and reached for a towel to cover herself up. However, if she had taken thetime to look, she would have realized that the blonde brawler was stunned by the impact, while his opponent was knocked unconscious.

"Um…" Zell murmured in his dazed state. "Can someone get me the license plate number of the bus that just ran me over?"

* * *

**_05:40:04_**

* * *

Selphie had managed to convince a couple of Galbadian soldiers to help her bring Paul to the hospital, and the group of four were currently trying to avoid the massive mob that had resumed their fight after the sudden interruption. While the two soldiers carried Paul, Selphie managed to keep him awake and cure his injuries with her curative magic. It wasn't going to help much unless they got to the hospital and got him the proper treatment there. 

Having arrived at the hospital, the soldiers had handed Paul over to the doctors and nurses who had, soon after, wheeled him into Emergency, to try and remove the bullet from the wound and the keep him in stable condition. The soldiers volunteered to stay nearby and to let the girl know if anything changed.

Sighing, the Trabian SeeD pulled her hair out of the elastic band that kept it in its ponytail before raking her hands through it and resetting the ponytail once more. She didn't know what she was going to do, nor did she have any idea why this was all happening. First, her childhood friend was being accused of something that hexouldn't possibly have done (dispite the fact that she had no idea what he was accused of doing), and now a co-worker of whom she had grown accustomed to being around was slowly bleeding to death and would soon die if the doctors didn't get him back up and running.

Just as she was about to dwell on her thoughts even more, she suddenly heard the sounds of a struggle coming from the main entrance and the waiting room where she knew patients were waiting to be seen by the doctor. Running over towards the doors, and ducking behind them, she recognized the new arrivals as Estharian men, all armed with their guns and axes.

_They must've followed me here…_ Selphie thought to herself, taking the moment to watch her surroundings. _Well then, they can follow me right back out, because there is no way in hellthat those people are gonna become targets._

Jumping out from behind the door, she raced into the room, folding her arms across her chest much like Quistis normally would before shooting miniature fireballs at the soldiers, who backed off in alarm more than in pain. Vaulting overtop of the soldiers and racing out the door, she mentally cursed herself for forgetting that the Estharians wore armour that protected themfrom magical attacks. Looking back behind her, she also realized that the soldiers were following her, which confirmed her suspicions that they were after her.

Finally finding a spot where she knew she'd be able to fight properly, she jumped and turned back around, pulling her nunchaku from its holster on her back. She landed in a crouch, one leg tucked underneath her while the other was outstretched to the side to balance her. Her nunchaku was held out just in front of her, both sticks pointing downwards and the metal chain attached to either end stretched out as far as it could go.

The soldiers appeared to be less than impressed, standing where they were and blocking the path that would lead her back to the hospital. Selphie was just fine with that; as long as they weren't fighting in the building she was alright. Hearing footfalls behind her, she inclined her head to see Estharian soldiers coming up from behind her. She just stared at them as if they were beneath her before directing her gaze in front of her.

"We know you know where your comrade is." One of the soldiers spoke. He wore slightly different armour than the rest of his comrades and it appeared to have some sort of emblem on the chest. Selphie figured that he must be either the commanding officer or some sort of high ranking soldier. "So just tell us where he is and we'll leave. It's as simple as that."

"On what charges?" Selphie asked point blank. "You want to arrest him, but he didn't do anything. He's been over here for the last two months, not that it's any of your business. I suggest you leave now before you make a bigger mess of things than you already have."

"First of all, that information is none of your business. Second, if you don't tell us where he is, we'll just have to assume that you're harbouring a criminal and will retrieve the information by force."

"Go ahead and try." Selphie dared, standing upright and holding her nunchaku in a battle stance. "But I doubt you'll get anywhere. Considering I'm a SeeD with junctions and all you have are your armour that just reflects magical attacks. Hate to break it to you, but SeeDs aren't just trained in magical offense and defense."

"Alright men, she's not listening to reason." The Estharian soldier said. "Looks like we'll have to teach her a few things."

"Bring it on!" Selphie shouted as she prepared herself for battle. As long as she was protecting the hospital and keeping the Estharians from finding Squall, then she was prepared to go head to head against the Estharians. And if she died fighting them off, then so be it.

* * *

A group of Estharian soldiers were keeping an eye on the perimeter a few minutes away from the City limits. Just in case the target tried to escape through there, they were ready. Their ship may have been stationed on the Eastern side of the city, but they had a feeling that if reinforcements for Garden were going to show up, then they would appear from the western coast. 

But as they continued to patrol the area, they failed to notice someone hiding within the shadows and watching their movements, keeping their eyes open for a chance to get by them. Squall was very few things, and a fool was not among that list. He figured that someone would be guarding the area, just in case he figured that his chance of escape was around that area. The only problem he saw was getting past them when the Ragnarok touched down. If the situation called for it, then he was prepared to fight his way through. Still, he thought that he should figure out another way. Fighting against the Estharians would only fuel their belief that he committed a crime he couldn't possibly have.

Frowning to himself he allowed himself to fall into a sitting position, his knees propping up his arms as he hung his head trying to think of what he could do. Sighing to himself, he knew that if this whole situation continued to escalate, then another war might break out, one that would trump the previous Sorceress Wars, and he wasn't prepared to be the cause of such a thing. People had only just begun to restore peace in their lives and the last thing they needed was more chaos thrown at them because of an alleged act (one of which he still had no idea what it was).

Allowing the back of his head to touch the wall behind him, he wondered if this was the right course of action. Granted he had never really disobeyed an order before, and the times he had the situation had called for it. Nevertheless, it was still a foreign concept to him, and he couldn't help but question the orders he was given currently. It was against his nature to run away, especially from the enemy, but he also understood that the situation called for it.

…right?

He was suddenly aware of a beeping sound coming from the connecting headset that he still had. Frowning in thought, he wondered why they were continuing to use the radio frequencies when the Estharians were able to hack into it when it suddenly dawned on him that there was an emergency line just in case something like this were to happen. The only reason no one had even thought about using it had been in case the Estharians still needed to hack into their systems.

Pressing a button on his head set, he patched himself into the connection and waited to see who it was that was trying to contact him.

"Squall, can you hear me?" the voice of the Galbadian President rang into his ear.

"Yes…loud and clear." Squall answered back.

"How far away from the rendezvous point are you?" Caraway asked.

"Approximately a few minutes." Squall answered, checking his watch as he did. He still had approximately eight minutes before the Ragnarok showed up and if he made it past the soldiers guarding the perimeter quickly enough without being spotted, then there was a good chance that he could make it there before the others did.

"Good. It looks like you're ahead of schedule." Caraway commented from his end. "One of the technicians is tracking your current location through the headset. According to his readouts, it looks as though there are some Estharians within the vicinity."

"Sir that is correct." Squall looked back over towards where the soldiers were and backed further into the shadows, so as not to be seen. They still had yet to realize that someone else was there.

"Then it's going to be difficult getting you past them then. How many do you see?"

"Five or six." Squall said, taking another look. Indeed, six soldiers stood at the ready, as if they were waiting for something.

"Then we'll have to alter the plan somewhat." Caraway stated. "I'll have to contact Headmaster Kramer and tell him of our current predicament. Then we'll figure out what it is that we are going to do about it. Possibly make it so the SeeDs he's sending will come and escort you to the Ragnarok."

Squall frowned. It wasn't that he didn't like the odds that were stacked against him, but he didn't like where this whole situation itself was going. Regardless of the Estharians obvious interest in bringing him with them to Esthar, with the Galbadians and SeeD interfering with their plans, the situation may escalate further. The short term effect may be the scrapping of the World Confederation project, but the long term effect could end up destroying them all…

Caused by a war the likes of which no one has seen.

This time, the war wouldn't merely involve the two most powerful countries in the world, but every single nation would be at arms against one another. SeeD and Garden would not be aiding one side or the other; they would be acting on their own, as would Galbadia and Esthar. Not only this, but Timber and Dollet may be dragged into the conflict, since their own nations closely resided within the Galbadian continent and there was no telling what would happen if either Galbadia or Esthar invaded either one to gain a strong hold. The whole world would be up in arms; fighting for what they believed would be justice. And the epicenter of the entire conflict would have begun right there…in Deling City…

With him.

Squall himself understood that he was no martyr,but hedidn't wish for a war to break out solely because the Estharians wanted him to pay for a crime of which he did not commit, and the Galbadians had interfered by defending him. He didn't wish people to die just for the sake of protecting him; he could protect himself if the need arose. But the fact of the matter, aside from his own wishes, was that the world had merely just recovered from the onslaught of the Sorceress of the Future, and another war would destroy everyone not only physically, but mentally and economically as well.

"Squall?" Caraway's voice managed to bring the teenager out of his thoughts, redirecting him towards the situation at hand. "Are you still there? Is there something wrong?"

Deciding not to side-step the question in his answer, he nodded to himself once before speaking. "Yes sir, something has gone wrong. The Estharians are currently in the heart of the city, fighting against Galbadian soldiers, and someone, presumably working with the contact that wants you dead, has just shot the man who was supposed to direct me to the meeting area. Right now, as the situation stands, we don't have time to be worrying about all of that. But something has been bothering me about this whole situation, and I need to ask you for your honest answer."

"What is it?"

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Squall hoped that Caraway would not try to reassure him; just tell him the truth. His honest opinion; just so he knew that his fears were either justified, or that he was taking things way out of proportion. "…If I escape from here today, with the Galbadians help and get away from the Estharian soldiers…do you believe that it would end all of the peace talks and start a war?"

There was silence on the other end, and Squall closed his eyes as he realized the President was stalling in answering him. He didn't need reassurance or nice words trying to calm him down; he needed to understand the direty of the situation before the damage was set in stone.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, Caraway's voice came back over the feeds. "Squall, I really think that it is in everyone's best interest if you just concentrate on getting out of Galbadia and we'll figure out what is to come—"

"Caraway…" Squall interrupted. "Will it or will it not start another war?"

Squall heard the elder man sigh on the other end and another moment passed before Caraway spoke again. "Yes Squall…I do believe that this might ignite another war. But the governments of the respective countries involved will deal with it if or when the subject arises."

Squall let out the breath he had been holding and allowed his head to droop before tapping it lightly against the wall he was sitting at. Closing his eyes, he directed his attention back towards the ground. He had been afraid that Caraway would have agreed with him, but it was better than being lied to in the end. At least now he wouldn't be surprised if a war broke out on either side.

"Squall…I know what you're thinking…" Caraway said. "And you shouldn't consider actually surrendering to Esthar. You didn't do anything wrong, and you shouldn't be made to pay for someone else's actions. You're not a martyr Squall; no one is expecting you to throw away your freedom to avoid any of this. Think about those who don't want to see you get hurt. Think of Rinoa."

Settinghis jaw, he balled his hands into fists and clenched his eyes shut tightly. He didn't want to hurt anyone because of his own actions, but he also didn't want them to suffer because he didn't do anything. He was at a crossroads, and, much like when he chose to allow Rinoa to go with the Estharians, he had no idea what it was he was supposed to do.

Just as Squall was about to say something, he suddenly heard what sounded like Caraway speaking with one of his technicians. A moment later, Caraway returned on the line. "We've just received contact from the Ragnarok. The passengers wish to speak to you."

Squall nodded and waited patiently as another transmission was activated via the headset he wore. Technology in Galbadia had advanced further since the war against Adel, and even more slightly during the peace talks when Esthar sent over some of their own technical devices for the Galbadians to base their upgrades on.

Finally, the other communication was established and Squall could hear a familiar girl's voice on the opposite end trying to get a hold of him. "Quistis? You're there too?"

"Of course. I thought that the information we needed to get to you would have been better received from someone you knew and trusted."

"Does Rinoa know about any of this?" Squall asked.

"No she doesn't. The headmaster didn't want to upset her until this whole mess was sorted out. I just called to let you know that we are only a few minutes away. Just hold on; we'll be there shortly!"

Squall hadn't even been listening after his former instructor had answered his question. He had no idea how she would react if she found out that this was all happening, nor did he know what she would think to do given the circumstances. He couldn't help but put himself in Rinoa's position when she was told to go to the Sorceress' Memorial in Esthar.

Suddenly, Squall realized that he was receiving another transmission from someone else, so he connected to the source, and immediately, Selphie's voice came through the speaker. "Squall, you'd better get the heck outta here! I'm keeping them busy, but I don't know how long I can hold up against them!"

Frowning, Squall began to think of ideas as to what to do. He knew that the others were merely stalling until he was far enough away from Galbadia and away from the Estharians, but he also understood what the long term effects of running away would cause. In his mind, he could only see one option that would bring all of this to an end. No one was going to be very happy about it, but for the most part, it was his decision in the end. He didn't see any other way out and time was slowly running out.

"Squall?" Caraway's voice rang on the other end of the communication. "Are you still there? Squall? Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Squall finally answered. He knew what he had to do, and he also knew he would be upsetting a lot of people doing it. Whether or not they would understand the reasoning behind his actions, only time would tell. "Selphie, hang tight. You won't be fighting for very much longer. Quistis, I have new orders for you. You are to land in the same spot that was originally planned, but you will be bringing Selphie and Zell with you back to Garden. The rest of the SeeDs are to remain here under orders from the Galbadian Government, and I don't want to hear any arguments about it whatsoever."

"But Squall?" Quistis protested, but Squall didn't allow her the opportunity.

"Next, I want you to contact the Headmaster and to alert him to the situation. I understand why you're keeping this from her, but I want Rinoa to know what's going on. She has a right, after all."

"But what about you?" Selphie asked.

"Don't worry about me; I'll be fine." Squall assured her. "I know what I'm doing, so, please, just don't try to stop me."

"Squall, don't do it!" Caraway said on the other line. Squall was positive that the President had more to say on the matter, but by then he had already removed the headset and let it fall onto the ground before rising to his feet. Taking in another deep breath, he moved forward, leaving his hiding spot and heading towards the city limits.

One of the Estharian soldiers spotted him and leveled his weapon, alerted his other comrades and Squall watched as they did the same before stopping where he was. Closing his eyes and letting out the breath he had taken, he raised his arms above his head, awaiting the reaction that the Estharians were sure to have.

Each one appeared to be shocked, and Squall couldn't be certain since their helmets blocked their facial expressions. After a moment, two of the soldiers approached him, their firearms aimed at him. "Disarm yourself and then move your weapons towards us!" One of them ordered.

Squall immediately did as he was told, pulling out the .9mm gun that he had holstered on his left leg before removing the .6mm gun he had holstered onto his belt prior to discarding the over jacket he had previously been wearing. Next, he detached the holster he had secured on his back and placed it with his gunblade inside onto the ground with the rest of his weapons.

One of the soldiers approached the weapons and began picking them up, one by one as Squall watched, while the other, his weapon still raised, walked over towards him and patted him down, making sure that the youth wasn't concealing any other weapons. When he was satisfied, and his partner went back towards the others with the weapons, two other soldiers came towards them as the lone solider left instructed the SeeD to lie down on his stomach on the ground, his hands behind his head. Squall complied to the order, dropping onto the ground and placing his hands behind his head as the two soldiers who had been approaching came to a stop in front of him, their weapons leveled at his head while he felt the third soldier move his right arm behind his back before he felt cold metal being attached to his wrists. His left arm was soon pulled behind him before both hands were tied together.

* * *

**The Time is now 6 a.m.

* * *

**


	5. 5th Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.

* * *

"Squall, are you listening to us? SQUALL!"

Quistis slammed her fist down atop of the dashboard in the Ragnarok just as they took notice that the city that lived during the night appeared to steadily be coming closer. Pushing herself backwards into the co-pilot seat, she frowned immensely. She had a feeling exactly what her former student was planning to do, but didn't want to believe it herself. He was an intelligent individual; there was no plausible excuse that she could think of that would cause him to do something so stupid.

_But I have been wrong in the past…_ Quistis thought to herself before she and Nida both exchanged glances. Nida nodded before checking the connection the Ragnarok had with the Galbadian Presidential Residence and gave Quistis the thumbs up, which meant that they were still connected. Quistis leaned forward once again, adjusting the headset she wore before speaking into the microphone. "President Caraway? Are you still there? Do you still read me?"

No one answered on the other end, and she looked to Nida again, who merely shrugged in response. She was skeptical that they were still able to contact the residence, especially since they hadn't heard a word from Caraway since Squall disconnected from their conversation. However, she could hear Selphie cursing lightly on the other end, which confirmed her suspicions that the former Trabian student was still on the line.

After a moment of losing herself to her musings, she finally received the response she had wanted. Caraway's voice resounded back, but it appeared as though he had taken a moment to calm himself. The sound of his voice was unmistakably different to the trained ear; a voice that sounded as though the owner's resolve was ready to break apart. "Yes Ragnarok…I'm still here…"

"What happened?" Nida asked, beating Quistis to the question.

There was another moment of silence and the former Instructor feared for the worst. She silently prayed that he didn't do what she thought he had done, and that their fears were out of proportion.

"Squall…allowed the Estharians to apprehend him for questioning."

And with the news, her hope came crashing down as the revelation had been made. Slumping back against her chair once more, she clenched and unclenched her fists, clumps of her skirt being caught between her fingers. What reasons would he have to just surrender? Squall wasn't the kind of person who gave up without just cause; he had proven that fact ample amounts of times during the Sorceress War and even before that when he had still been a student.

"But why would he do that?" Nida asked, apparently taking notice of Quistis' current mental state. "Why would he just hand himself over like that."

"Why don't the both of you report to the Presidential Residence…?" Caraway suggested. "I'll explain everything there, once I contact the SeeDs and my men and they return from the field."

"Understood." Nida complied. "Ragnarok out."

The connection was then terminated as Quistis looked out the window, watching the City become larger as they approached it_. Squall…_ she thought to herself. _What have you done…?

* * *

_

Selphie wretched her earpiece out of her ear before throwing it down onto the ground in utter frustration. She had just received new orders, so she didn't have to worry about being reprimanded for her behaviour, but that was the least of her concerns.

The Estharians had left only moments prior, as soon after Squall had terminated the connection, which had only meant one thing…that he had surrendered to the enemy forces and was currently on his way to Esthar.

Clenching and unclenching her fists, she resisted the urge of slamming them into the nearby buildings that enclosed her.

"Squall…" She murmured as tears began to pool in her eyes. "You big dummy…why'd you do it?" Finally she glared up at the Estharian ship that passed by overhead, knowing that her comrade and one of her best friends was onboard, for a crime he never could have committed (regardless of the fact she had no idea what the crime was).

Taking in a deep breath, she screamed out, despite the obvious fact that he probably wouldn't be able to hear her. "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS GONNA DO TO US! TO RINOA!"

Upon hearing the echo that carried her voice along the light breeze, she lowered her head, allowing her tears to fall freely. "How could you…we had it all planned out, so why…?"

Her question was immediately cut off when she heard footfalls coming from behind her. She figured that a few of the Estharian soldiers must have been left behind to monitor the city, she reached behind her for her nunchaku. Cracking a few skulls open might actually do her some good. In her mind, it looked as though the Estharians had just declared war on Garden by their actions, and there was no way that they were going to get away with it.

Whirling around in a fighter stance, she immediately dropped it upon seeing the familiar face of Zell Dincht, who looked like a total wreck. His clothes were ripped and torn, revealing bruising and cuts that hadn't been there previously. His hair, which was usually spiked up, was matted down, as if he had either landed on it, or taken a dive head first into some kind of water source.

He had immediately stopped walking over towards the girl and had his hands propped defensively in front of his chest. "Okay, okay…mental note, don't sneak up on Selphie."

"Zell?" Selphie asked, her grip on the giant weapon slackening slightly.

"Yeah, it's me…" Zell said, rubbing the back of his head. He had apparently caught sight of Selphie's scrutinizing his appearance, as he just shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "I kinda got roughed up a bit."

His grin suddenly turned into a fierce frown that made Selphie wonder if he knew what was currently going on. What he said next determined her answer. "But that sniper got away." He growled, slamming his fist into is outstretched palm once more. "Got distracted by a bunch of guys in black and while I fought them, I lost the guy! Dammit!"

Selphie lowered her head, but she understood that there wasn't anything that could have been done to avoid the sudden ambush. It seemed too much like the entire thing had been planned out carefully; as if the contact knew that they would find out their location and thought up a way to get rid of all of them. First there was the bomb, and then the sniper.

Wiping her eyes, she tried her best to look not so depressed, at least for the moment. "We have new orders. We have to report back to the Presidential Residence. We also need to find Ezack and Talle before we go."

"Why? We're gonna find out what the deal is with those damned Estharians?" Zell asked before looking around. "I did run into a few of 'em before I got here, but for the most part, it looks like they retreated. Probably realized that SeeD and Galbadia teamed up is a bad thing for them, right? Good thing Squall got outta here when he did."

The sudden reminder of the current events was enough to break her resolve and the Trabian SeeD suddenly dissolved into a fit of tears, falling to her knees as she sobbed opening, an action that seemed to startle the brawler. After a moment of nothing but the sound of her cries, she heard footfalls approaching her and looked up to see Zell staring back at her with a curious expression in his features. "He…did get out…right?"

Shaking her head, she tried hard to compose herself before she began to speak. "The Estharians got to him…" she answered forlorn.

"WHAT!" Zell shouted, immediately jumping up onto his feet. "Why those…those…those BASTARDS!" Slamming his fist into the street they stood on, he didn't seem to notice the crack that he had made as he seethed in anger and rage. "I can't believe it! We had it planned! He was gonna go back to Garden and we were gonna have this whole thing sorted out! Those bastards must have cut him off and beat him to the rendezvous point!"

"Zell…" Selphie said in an attempt to interject, but she was ignored.

"They must've overpowered him and captured him! That has to be it!" Zell clenched his fists in anger, and Selphie started to think that he would cut himself open if he kept this up. "That's the only way they could've gotten Squall to go with them back to Esthar."

"Zell! He went on his own free will!" Selphie suddenly blurted out, hoping that the brawler had heard her. Luck appeared to be on her side, as the blonde teenager stopped in the middle of his rant and turned his confused stare towards the brunette. When Selphie was positive that she had his undivided attention, she took in a deep breath before beginning her explanation. "I don't know how it happened, but I contacted him while he was talking to the Ragnarok and Caraway, and then he just suddenly started giving us orders before he disconnected. I don't know why he did it, but…that's why the Estharian's left."

At this point, Zell was trembling with repressed rage. Selphie was surprised that she didn't see smoke spouting from his ears. "T hat…stupid IDIOT!" he shouted. "Why the fuck would he go against orders like that!"

"I don't know." Selphie shook her head in response. "But we have our orders, and we need to get to the Presidential Residence to meet with the President and Quisty—"

"Quistis?" Zell looked back at Selphie. "She's coming?"

Selphie nodded. "I think Nida might be with her, but either way, we have to meet them at the Presidential Residence, and find Ezack and Talle along the way."

Zell nodded in agreement and both headed back towards the hotel.

* * *

**_06:11:53_**

_**

* * *

**_

"He did WHAT!" Cid shouted, rising to his feet with the receiver in hand.

"That's what President Caraway said." Xu spoke calmly on the opposite end, although she sounded as though she was trying very hard to control her temper. "He said that Squall surrendered to the Estharians, and is currently en route to Esthar as we speak. Do you want me to explain the situation to President Loire?"

"No, I'll do that myself." Cid said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Just make the connection and patch me through."

"Right away, sir." Xu's voice disappeared as the intercom was immediately shut off. Cid slumped back into his chair and allowed his head to fall into the palm of his hand. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly let it out before a frown creased his features. _Squall…why choose now to start disobeying orders and acting on your own…?_ Cid thought to himself. Although he had helped raise the boy, he had absolutely no idea as to why he would just abandon the plan and travel to Esthar. This action wasn't like the standoffish teenager at all.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose once again before replacing his glasses, he wondered just how things could get any worse than they already were when he heard the sounds of someone shouting from just outside of his office. He was just about to patch through to Xu and ask her what the ruckus was about when the door to his office suddenly slammed open, a tall teenager stomping in before he slammed it shut, right on Xu's face. The boy was an average height of six feet, with long auburn tresses that was tied back into a ponytail. He was dressed in a black fishnet shirt with a white muscle shirt underneath and a pair of beige pants that matched the trench coat he wore perfectly. A beige coloured cowboy hat sat on his head and completed the look.

Upon recognizing the teenager, the aging Headmaster waited patiently for the boy to say what he wished to say.

"Hey Headmaster…" started Irvine Kinneas, the expression on his face revealing his hostile reaction. "So…d'ya mind telling me why it is that I'm always the middle man left out?" Folding his arms across his chest and frowning, the Galbadian sharpshooter raised an eyebrow.

During Irvine's interrogation within the confines of the Headmaster's office, a girl suddenly emerged from the elevator reaching the third floor of the Garden. The girl was pretty short, only reaching roughly 5 feet 3 inches in height and possessed raven coloured hair with blondish-brown highlights in the front. She was dressed almost completely in black; a black tank top overtop a pair of black shorts and a pair of black boots. The only thing about her ensemble that prevented her from appearing as though she were mourning the death of a friend was the blue cape that sat upon her shoulders and fell upon her ankles. White angelic-like wings sat upon the upper back of the cape, sort of illuminating the power that the teenage girl possessed.

Rinoa Heartilly was currently residing within the Garden, since she didn't have any other place to stay. She could have always returned to her father's Mansion within the heart of Deling City, but the girl just didn't feel like the building of which she had been raised in for the majority of her youth was her home. Even though she had her father had somewhat sorted out their differences, which started from the untimely death of her mother and continued up until the political future of Timber, she still feared that the walls within the building had eyes and ears, and this thought did little to comfort her. So instead, she had decided to stay in the same place that her friends and boyfriend had grown up in.

To her, Garden was somewhat like a summer camp; she got to meet so many people and, although she was not a member of SeeD, was also encouraged to participate in some of the activities that the cadets conducted regularly. But for the last two months, she had had very little company to keep. Three of her friends had become stationed in the very City she had grown to despise, protecting the man she had once regarded as 'that man', and Quistis' SeeD duties kept the blonde woman busy for the most part. Although Irvine was fun to hang around with, his idea of a good time was to chat up one of the 'cuties' within the building.

Sighing to herself, she wondered if the question she wanted to ask the Headmaster was selfish on her behalf. She understood that SeeD had jobs to do, and once the World Confederation project was completed and established, Garden was going to become even busier, but she missed the others; especially Squall. She hadn't seen him in the last two months, and she wanted to see him again, at least once before he was scheduled to return from Deling. She had even considered visiting the Capital, even though it held memories she wished to forget at times.

She approached the front desk within the confines of the Headmaster's former office, and noticed grimly at Xu appeared to be nursing a migraine. _I should probably come back later…_ She thought to herself. However, just before she could turn away, she noticed Xu look up at her and force a smile in her direction.

"Oh, hey Rinoa." Xu said, although the tone in her voice revealed to the raven haired girl her fatigue and a tinge of…irritation? "Is there anything you need?"

Rinoa smiled back sheepishly. She felt like a heel asking Xu about the mission, especially since she knew it wasn't any of her business. But she was curious, and she needed to know so that she would at least have a specific date and time she could count backwards to.

But just as she was about to ask her question she suddenly had a nagging feeling that that should have been the least of her concerns. Rinoa didn't know if that was her intuition speaking or her Sorceress Powers developing further, but she suddenly wanted to know what was going on within the Garden. The Headmaster's office door was always open unless he was in a meeting, but right now it appeared as though it was closed shut. Also, whenever Xu greeting someone, it was always in a strict tone that announced an aura of business. Right now, Xu sounded as though she wanted to murder someone.

"Rinoa…?" Xu asked, an eyebrow rising as the girl said nothing. "Are you alright?"

Swallowing the lump that had begun to form in her throat, the teenage girl took in a deep breath before speaking. "Yeah, I'm fine…" Rinoa said. "I guess I'm taking after my boyfriend, huh?"

Xu nodded, but the feeling that something was very wrong became stronger as she watched the elder woman's expression. It seemed that the irritation just suddenly converted into anger. "Um…are you alright, Xu? Is there something wrong?"

Xu just waved the girl off. "Nothing you need to worry about. It's sort of classified, so we can't give you the details, but yeah, I admit that I'm more than a little annoyed. You would think that Seifer was back or something…"

Rinoa frowned at the mention of her ex-boyfriend but said nothing on the subject. Unlike everyone else she knew, she had mixed feelings when it came to Seifer's actions. She knew that he had been manipulated by the Sorceress; tricked into doing her bidding all in the prospect of making his dream come true, and she also understood that it wasn't really Seifer they were fighting at all. The former SeeD Cadet would have never allowed himself to become manipulated so easily; not unless he had been placed under a spell, and the girl couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

But at the same time, she didn't know if the things that he had done during the previous war were atonable; if not in her eyes, but everyone else's. He had betrayed his home; tried to destroy the foundation that was SeeD and even fought against his own friends, and in many people's minds, he was still the same man he was back during the war. Rinoa couldn't understand why people would jump to that conclusion when they had not even the slightest idea of his whereabouts since the destruction of Time Compression, and even if she could find him at this point in time, she didn't know how she would react.

Shaking herself from her reverie, she glanced over towards the Headmaster's door before asking her next question. "Um, why is the Headmaster's office door closed? I thought he always left it open."

Xu appeared to be at a loss for words and Rinoa took this opportunity to approach the door. As she neared the office, she realized that she could clearly make out what they were saying; She remembered how Edea had told her that the powers of the Sorceress enhanced the majority of the senses that normal beings possessed. The ability to hear was one of them, and she could make out things that most people wouldn't have been able to hear. She didn't even need to move closer to the door, but she figured that since she hadn't gotten the hang of her powers just yet, that it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

The raven haired sorceress hated the idea of eavesdropping on a private conversation, but she hated being left in the dark even more. Too many times had it happened to her as a child, and she would be damned if it started happening again.

There were two voices within the room. One obviously belonged to Irvine, and the other was the Headmasters, but something about the entire conversation sent klaxons off in Rinoa's mind. Irvine was, by nature, a calm and collected person who rarely lost his temper. But at the moment, it sounded as though he were about a couple decimals short of yelling at the elder man. Just as the raven-haired girl was about to barge in and demand that Irvine calm down, the next words that sounded through the door stopped her cold.

"So here I am, about to come in and ask how much longer is the Deling Team gonna be sticking around Galbadia, and what do I hear? Xu tellin' you that the Estharians believe that their own President's son is behind some kind of crime and that he just surrendered to them? And I would like to know, just what the hell is goin' on, and why the hell wasn't I informed about all this!"

Rinoa's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the door. What Irvine said couldn't have been true. Squall wouldn't just _not_ put up a fight without an extremely good reason, and there was none that Rinoa could think of from the top of her head. It didn't matter to her that she didn't know what crime he was being accused of committing, nor did it matter that she had only known the group for the last seven months, when Ultimecia began her reign of terror.

Without thinking about it for another second, she pushed the door open as quickly as it could and was surprised that it hadn't flown off from its hinges. Both males turned their attention towards the sorceress as she calmly (a definite opposite of what was going on within her mind) strode into the room and slammed both her palms on top of the Headmaster's desk. "What the HELL is going on!"

Neither occupant within the confines of Cid's office needed an explanation to know that the girl had overheard their conversation. The headmaster looked sheepishly towards Irvine and then past the two teenagers towards Xu, who appeared to have been flustered by the sudden slamming of the door. After a moment of tense silence, Cid removed the glasses that sat upon the bridge of his nose before cleaning them out of nervous habit and returning them to their previous position. "I understand that I have some explaining to do, and I would first like to say that the reason neither one of you had been notified was because we believed that we would have the situation under control sooner than this."

Turning towards Irvine, the elder man continued with his explanation. "Irvine, you're correct about the Estharians believing that Squall was responsible for something he couldn't possibly have done, but let me explain the situation further."

Ushering behind the two, he appeared to signal to Xu to close the office door behind them. The veteran SeeD did as she was told, and as soon as the small 'clicking' sound that signaled that the door was shut resounded within the room, Cid leaned forward in his desk and clasped his hands together in a professional manner. "Early in the morning, Esthar time, someone entered the Presidential Residence within the Capital and murdered five workers who were currently finishing the last of their preparations on the World Confederation project. I'm sure the both of you know what I'm talking about."

Both teenagers nodded, and Cid began to speak once more. "The fact is, this man or whoever it is, entered the Residence without the hindrance of security to stop him merely minutes before the act was committed."

"So it was a flaw in their security." Rinoa said. "That's not Garden's fault at all."

"You would think that, but the guard at the front told his superiors that he had recognized the voice of the visitor and immediately allowed him access, thinking that he had business with President Loire."

"And those big heads in Esthar think Squall was the guy, am I right?" Irvine asked, interrupted the headmaster. When Cid nodded in confirmation, Irvine's frown, if possible, grew deeper. "Well what's Laguna doin' about all this? I mean, he's his own son for Hyne's sake; you'd think he would be doing something to stop this whole thing."

"Laguna is doing all that he can." Cid said, rising from his seat. "Actually, he is the reason that I know about the current situation. But it seems as though I acted a little too late on this one."

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked.

"The Estharian General, Charles Orally, gave the order for a large shipment of soldiers to leave Estharian territory and head towards Balamb Garden. However, some information leaked out and the Estharians discovered that he was stationed on Galbadian territory and changed their course to the west. They landed in Deling City and were able to find and detain him."

"He just surrendered to them?" Rinoa asked in disbelief.

Cid nodded in response. "According to Xu, Squall had asked President Caraway if his escaping Estharian custody would start a war between Esthar and Garden, so it is my belief that he surrendered to prevent that outcome from happening."

"Makes sense too…" Irvine pointed out, although he didn't appear the least bit happy about it. "We just got over a war against a Sorceress. If a war got started up, not only would it stop the peace talks, but it'd wipe us all out; physically and economically. Even if someone did win, their country would be in ruins."

"But a war might break out anyway." Rinoa blurted out. "If the Estharians invaded the Galbadian capital without so much as a warning, then I'm pretty sure the Galbadians aren't too happy about it. What's to prevent a war from being started between Esthar and Galbadia?"

"President Caraway is doing everything within his power to prevent it from happening. His soldiers won't go to war without him declaring it."

"We didn't think the Estharians would do anything without Laguna's consent, but here we are." Irvine frowned.

"Right now, we need to re-evaluate our course of action." Cid said, changing the subject slightly. "Now that the Estharians have Squall in their custody, it's most likely that they'll try to get a false confession out of him, since they are so intent that he is guilty. Despite Laguna's best efforts, they will try.

"I've already had contact from Caraway, and the plan is that Selphie and Zell will return to Garden via Ragnarok with Quistis and Nida. The rest of the team is to stay within Galbadia, since there have been sightings of Estharians still positioned within the city, and try to keep the Galbadians and Estharians from fighting one another. I'm going to contact the Ragnarok and request that they bring Edea with them before stopping at Garden and heading towards Esthar. We need Garden Representatives to be witness to the questionings and Esthar's officials are well aware of that fact."

"So Squall won't say anything until we get there, right?" Rinoa asked.

Cid nodded once again. "He has his rights to our representation so that there will have been no foul play. It's one of the conditions under the Confederation, and Esthar has to adhere by them."

"That's easy enough." Irvine said. "Squall hardly talks about anything unless he wants to or knows he has to. This outta be a synch of him."

"In the meantime…" Cid said. "I'll need you both to be ready to head out within the next hour and a half. Hopefully Quistis and Nida will have received my message before meeting with the others, but if not, we should be ready at the very least. They should arrive before that time is up, and you both need to be prepared to leave before then. Also, do not, under any circumstances, repeat what I have just told you to another person within Garden unless you have been directed to by myself. We want as little confusion as possible and if the rest of the students and SeeDs discovered what we know, they may push for retaliation, and Garden would be divided; just as it was when NORG tried to take over."

Rinoa definitely remembered her previous encounter with the corrupt Garden Master of Balamb Garden. He had tried to set SeeD against the Headmaster and take over through those means. But the majority of Garden had sided with the Headmaster against the Garden Master, and the few who did join with NORG's faction were easily dealt with. NORG soon tried to confront Squall and his team, which at the time had consisted of Zell and Rinoa, but that meeting hadn't gone very far. It had also been the first time Rinoa had seen Squall truly angry at anything or anyone.

Despite the fact that neither teenager was a SeeD, both Irvine and Rinoa saluted the headmaster before exiting the office and heading towards the elevator.

Irvine seemed to sense her discomfort over the entire situation, and, after a few moments of walking in silence, placed a reassuring hand on top of the girls shoulder. "Cheer up, Rin. Everything's gonna be fine; I'm sure of it. Squall'll be back here at Garden and this whole mess'll get sorted out."

"But you heard the Headmaster. He said he thought it was going to be dealt with before now. But the Estharians took matters into their own hands and left for Garden without even really knowing if he was guilty or not."

"Yeah, I know. And pretty soon, they'll realize that they've made a big mistake. Look, the only reason why they're getting what they want is because Squall's letting them push him around. If we weren't just recovering from a war, he wouldn't be co-operating like he is. He wouldn't just let himself get caught if he didn't know what he was doing, right?"

Rinoa nodded in agreement, but she still couldn't push the thought out of her mind that things didn't always go as everyone expected them to. She seriously had a bad feeling about this entire situation, and she just prayed that Squall would be alright until they were able to sort out this whole mess.

* * *

The ocean reflected theslowlyrising sunthat sat overheard of the aircraft he was currently on; revealing that they would soon be reaching their destination and that they were shifting time zones. He didn't really mind the change of time between the two largest countries of the world; although he preferred the night anyway; mainly because it was far more silent then that of the day. 

However, the sky and the tranquility that accompanied it was far off from Squall's mind as he watched the waters beneath pass by, allowing his thoughts to take over. By now, everyone had probably either been told or figured out on their own what he had done, and he hoped that they weren't too disappointed or angry at him.

Reigning in his thoughts, he mentally cursed himself for thinking about something so trivial. For as long as Squall could remember, he had always worried about how he was perceived by the people around him, whether he cared about them or not, and it always irritated him when he caught himself doing it. No matter how many times he told himself it didn't matter what others thought, it didn't help matters at all. Even now, as he waited for the Estharians to reach their destination and haul him in for interrogation, he was disgusted that he was worried about what everyone back at Garden and in Deling City thought about his actions. He had always hated that side of himself; wanted to forget that it even existed, but nowadays it seemed like a regular occurrence to probe the actions of another and compare them to their opinion of him.

Thinking back towards the task at hand, he took in a deep breath and released it. No matter what everyone else had wanted him to do given the circumstances, running away from the Estharians would have only made things far worse than they already were. Besides, he had nothing to hide from the Estharians. Whatever crime they were convinced he had committed he couldn't have done; he had been in Deling City for the past two months, so unless he could teleport or travel in the span of time it took to blink an eye, he found it unlikely that whatever charges were being held against him would hold for very long.

Having become bored with staring at the window, Squall slumped back into the seat he had been placed (or rather, shoved) into for the duration of the flight. His arms were now bound in front of him and just over to the side, the handcuffs keeping his hands tied together and having been wrapped around a handle located on the left hand side wall that would have otherwise been used to steady oneself if the plane ran into some turbulence along the way.

Squall had gathered (from what he had seen of the aircraft) that there were only two compartments; one to hold the soldiers and one for the technical teams and pilots. He had also guessed that the General (having seen him come aboard as well) would be popping in and out throughout the flight, and he had been proven right within the span of five minutes. At one point, the General had even reported to his superiors, probably letting them know that their mission was accomplished, but Squall had paid it little mind.

Now, just as he was losing himself to his thoughts once again, the door along to the right of him slid open and the General emerged from within the next room. Squall watched the elder man as he approached the pilots and confirmed for what had to have been the fiftieth time within the last half hour that they were on course. Squall could understand being thorough, but even he had his limits. The SeeD figured that the General was making up excuses to keep an eye on him and to make sure that he wasn't trying to escape.

_Not that they could stop me if I wanted to…_ Squall thought to himself. He was still fully junctioned from his mission in Deling City and, if he called upon the strength of the Guardians that dwelled within his mind, then he would have no problem snapping the chains that kept him restrained and jump ship. He could easily slow his descent by casting a simple float spell and make contact with the Garden from Fisherman's Horizon (although he doubted Dobe would be especially thrilled to see him so soon after the War's end).

Squall expected to see the General head back to where his men were being held, but was mildly surprised when he stopped a few feet away from him, although he betrayed no hint of his reaction as he merely just watched the man. From what he could see, the General appeared to be contemplating what he would say to his 'prisoner' and it seemed to be taking him a while to formulate the right thing to say. Squall could tell that the man was intelligent just by watching him; a man who thinks before he speaks wisely determines the consequences of his actions and evaluates the response from another being; be it an ally or an enemy.

_'Course, that doesn't explain Laguna… _

Although Squall understood that for the past seventeen years, Laguna had done an outstanding job running the country that had gone into hiding for so long, he couldn't understand what made the people of Esthar elect him in the first place. Of course, Laguna had explained it briefly before the mission to take down Ultimecia, but he didn't believe that anything could nearly be that cut and dry. Everything had to be done for a reason and the people being under 'Hero Worship' just didn't fly with him.

"You sure have some nerve."

Squall was jarred from his thoughts when the General had begun to speak. Squall just stared at him with the same level of indifference he portrayed anyone else. Still, he felt that maybe the General may leak out some information if he stayed quiet.

"Just sitting there as if this was just another trip to get you to yet another mission."

From what Squall gauged from the man who stood before him, the General was barely able to control his rage, and for that, Squall figured that the charge had to have been higher than he thought it would have been. It had to have been high for them to suddenly just invade Galbadian territory without so much as a warning.

"I hope that once we get to Esthar, you'll be made to pay for what you did." The General ground out. "I don't care who you think you are or who your parents are, but you don't ever get away with something like what you did."

Squall waited for the man to speak once more, but when it was apparent he wasn't going to say anything else, the teenager figured that he would have to drag the answers out of him. "I honestly don't care who my father is either. He could be some nomad who crawled up out from under some rock for all I'd know. But I have no idea what you're talking about, or what you're accusing me of doing."

The General punched the wall right next to the teenager's head, and Squall could tell from the sound alone that it must've caused a dent. Still, he didn't even flinch when the contact was made, and he awaited the man's next move. He had been interrogated before; the most recent being in the confines of the Desert District Prison after the failed assassination attempt on Edea, who had been possessed at the time and this man's actions didn't scare him in the least.

"First of all, you don't ever, EVER talk about the President of Esthar like that when you are in the presence of his solders; do you hear me?" When Squall chose not to response, the General spoke once again. "And you know exactly what I'm talking about, so there's no need to play dumb anymore."

"If you don't believe me, then at least humour me for a while." Squall said. "I at least have a right to know that much, don't I? Besides, I don't believe I've been read my rights, do you?"

The General took in a breath before letting it back out and Squall watched as the man fell back into thinking. Eventually, he looked back at the teenager, a scowl gracing his features, and Squall wasn't at all positive if he was going to receive the answers to the questions that were plaguing him.

"I don't want to be accused of being uncivil towards a prisoner, so I suppose I'll tell you what the crime was, even though I'm just wasting my breath since you already know."

Squall rolled his eyes in response but the General failed to take notice as his frown deepened. "You have been arrested under the charges of murder leading into terrorism."

As the words ran themselves through his mind, Squall found that he was beginning to form more questions than answers. "I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar." The General spat out. "You began to murder five innocent people who were working on the United Confederation. You entered each and every one of their offices and murdered them in cold blood and, according to the evidence our specialists have collected, you did it all in cold blood and without remorse. Do you have something against the idea and prospect of world peace?"

Before Squall could even work his jaw open, let alone defend himself, the General cut him off. "Of course you would. World Peace would signify the end of SeeD and Garden as we know it. You would have to break apart disputes rather than be paid to start them. But not everyone can have what they want, so if you're not happy with the prospect of a peacekeeping, then do yourself a favour and consider a career change instead of taking out your frustrations on innocent citizens who are only doing their jobs and following orders! "

Shooting the SeeD yet another glare, he retreated from the cockpit and returned to the back room where his men sat during the flight. Squall allowed the back of his head to connect with the wall behind him, frowning deeply. He now understood why it was that Esthar hadn't cared when invading Galbadian territory, but it looked as though that this murder set them off and now he was being framed for the crime. He hoped that this situation wouldn't drag Balamb Garden or the rest of SeeD into the dispute, but so far, it appeared as though B-Garden would become involved at the very least.

Sighing to himself, Squall knew that he was innocent; knew where he had been during the time the crime took place and knew that he wasn't capable of killing in cold blood. He hated the idea of killing in the first place, and avoided it when at all possible. The fact that he had been responsible for two Sorceress' deaths didn't make him feel proud of himself in the least. In fact, he hated having had blood spilt onto his hands. It had been inevitable, but the thought didn't make him feel any better.

Despite knowing that he was innocent, Squall knew that he had no choice but to co-operate with the Estharians until this entire mess had been sorted through. He had nothing to hide from them; and he was certain that they would, eventually, see it as well. Looking back out the window of the plane, he silently hoped that the real murderer was caught and the situation was resolved before anyone else was caught in the cross fire.

* * *

**_06:45:12_**

* * *

Selphie, Ezack, Talle and Zell all entered the Presidential Residence, passing by the technicians who had stopped what they were doing and watched them walk by. Entering the Presidential office, they immediately caught sight of President Caraway staring out of his office window, watching the scenery beyond and below. Upon hearing the door closed, the former General turned around to face them, watching as each one saluted him when his eyes fell upon them. A simple nod relaxed the quartet. "I gather that you have all been informed of the situation." 

"What?" Ezack asked sarcastically, despite who he was talking to. "That our squad leader who, might I add, saved all our asses from a power hungry sorceress from the future, has just been arrested for a crime he sure as hell couldn't have committed, of which we have no idea what it was he had 'supposedly' done? Yeah, we got all of that."

"What is up with that anyway?" Selphie asked, interrupted Ezack from making yet another snide comment. "We know he couldn't have done anything in Esthar, since he hasn't left Deling City since we've been here. So why are the Estharians so confident that he's their suspect? And what crime did they arrest him for anyway?"

"And why would the Estharians go through all the trouble just to arrest someone who was innocent?" Zell interjected.

"I don't know why they would have come here." Caraway answered as he shook his head grimly. "Perhaps the Estharians believed he somehow was able to alter data in Garden specifying his whereabouts and providing himself with a reason why he couldn't have done what they say he did."

"I know the guy thinks ahead, but that's a bit excessive." Selphie argued. "I mean; the chances of getting caught are so high, that not even Squall would risk tampering with information that vital."

"And even if he did, which he DIDN'T," Zell made a point to stress that matter. "Then why would they come here when they don't think he's here."

"Isn't it obvious?" Talle spoke up. "Maybe they figured that the least obvious place he'd be would be the most obvious." Upon receiving confused glances from his comrades, Talle cleared his throat. "Think of it this way. If you guys thought, oh say for example, Selphie, committed some kind of crime in Balamb, and that she tampered with computer files to say that she was in Fisherman's Horizon at the time, where would you most likely start to look?"

"Obviously, if we've got proof that she did it, then we'd go anywhere but FH." Ezack said.

"Exactly." Talle said. "The Galbadians must've believed that Squall was betting on them doing to exact same thing, but decided to go to the place the records said he was just in case he was there."

Caraway nodded in response.

"Speaking of a crime committed…" Selphie said, directing a glare towards Talle for using her as an example. "What do the Estharians think he did anyways? It'd have to be something huge for them to just waltz on into Galbadia's Capital without even warning the officials."

Caraway nodded once again before gesturing for the four SeeDs to take a seat behind them. Once they were all seated, Caraway took his seat behind his desk and his frown deepened. "According to information I received from your Headmaster, At 2 o'clock in the morning, Esthar time, five people who were working on the United Confederation were murdered within their own offices, by someone who merely walked in through the front door as if it was nothing."

"He just walked right in?" Selphie asked. "That's not like the guards in Esthar."

"Yeah." Zell agreed. "Normally, they're all anal about letting people inside."

"Normally yes. But the guard at the front gate believes that the person who entered the residence was Squall, and the Estharians in turn believe that Squall was the one behind the murders."

"But he was here!" Talle shouted as the others appeared shocked by the revelation. "We're witnesses! How could he have possibly committed a crime in Esthar when he was on the opposite side of the planet!"

"We know this, but the Estharians are hard pressed that he was the one who did it." Caraway said. "Not even their President has been able to sway their opinion, and this resulted in the Estharian General acting on his own and ordering an invasion to apprehend him."

"And he just went with them as if it was as simple as breathing." Ezack said. "For a guy so smart, that was pretty dumb."

"I have no idea why he would do something like this either." Caraway said, shaking his head. "From what I've seen from him, Squall rarely does anything without a valid reason."

"Well, he doesn't have anything to hide, right?" Selphie said. "Maybe he figured that if he co-operated, they'd realize that they made a mistake."

"It has to be something bigger than that." Zell said. "He could have just easily told them he wasn't guilty from Garden. Handing himself over like that seems overboard."

"Squall did have orders for the rest of you before leaving for Esthar, however." Caraway said. "He wishes for Ezack, Talle and the rest of the SeeDs stationed in Galbadia to remain here, while Selphie and Zell return to Garden with the Ragnarok to figure something out with your Headmaster. The rest of the team has been told to continue working under the Galbadian Government, possibly until the Headmaster or the Garden Commander says otherwise."

Just as Caraway had finished speaking, the light positioned overtop of the intercom came alive as the speaker on the other end's voice came through. "President Caraway, you have a transmission coming from the Ragnarok."

Caraway immediately pressed the button that would activate the intercom from his end before speaking once more. "Thank you Judy. Patch them through, it is urgent."

A moment later, the phone that sat on the opposite side lit up and Caraway pressed the button that activated the speakerphone. "This is Ragnarok to D-Residence." Nida's voice came up on the other end. "Over."

"We read you." Caraway said, leaning forward in his seat. "Current location?"

"Sir, we've just landed on Galbadian territory. We were given orders to meet SeeDs Dincht and Tilmitt and bring them back to Garden."

"Affirmative. I was just relaying the order. They'll arrive within the next five minutes."

"Copy that. We've also been given an order by the Headmaster to stop off on the Centra continent to meet with Edea Kramer and escort her back to Garden with us, where we'll be picking up three more people before heading towards Esthar."

Zell and Selphie both exchanged glances between one another. Even though it took the former Sorceress to lose her temper, it was a horrible sight when she did. Just knowing that one of her 'children' was being held for a crime he hadn't committed was enough to drive the elder woman into a frenzied protective mother, and those who stood in her way usually ended up regretting it in the end as well.

Once Caraway had confirmed the request, they disconnected the contact and all four SeeDs rose to their seats in a formal salute. One nod from the President of Galbadia and the four SeeDs exited the room, returning to their previous mission or heading out to begin another.

* * *

**The Time is now 7 a.m.

* * *

**


	6. 6th Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

* * *

The remainder of the trip to Esthar had felt as though it had taken forever, but eventually they finally arrived at their destination. Squall remembered the previous time he had landed in the Estharian Airstation; when his team had been entrusted with a mission to defeat the Sorceress of the Future in the future, Ultimecia. The structure was the same as he remembered it; spectacular in its design and shape, and impressively futuristic in the eyes of anyone foreign to the country. 

Of course the usage of the Airstation differed from what it had previously while the Estharians had stayed in hiding from the rest of the world. Instead of merely being a place for military planes to dock for fuel or land from scouting missions, it had turned into somewhat of an airport, one that many of the citizens chose to use when it came to traveling outside of what was once referred to as a Xenophobic Country. Desks and chairs had been added within the multiple rooms the building possessed, transforming them into adequate waiting areas for the passengers to spend their time before their flights departed. Food places also dominated the inner structure so the passengers of an upcoming flight could grab a bite to eat before leaving. The section that the Estharian planes docked was sectioned off away from the passengers, so as not to invoke fear from the civilians. It was military ground, so only authorized personnel were granted permission to roam within.

As soon as the plane had touched down, two Estharian soldiers and the General had entered the cockpit of the plane before detaching their prisoner, removing the handcuffs from the handle they were wrapped around before quickly reattaching them to the wrists of the teenager. Excluding his escape from the soldiers on the rooftop, Squall had shown no signs of struggle against the Estharians and he knew that it was making some of the more vocal soldiers suspicious of him, but he could have cared less as the situation progressed. He knew he was innocent, and they could question him about his whereabouts all they wanted, but he would stick with what he knew happened. It would anger them even more, but Squall sincerely doubted that it was any different from how they had reacted when they were first told that he had committed the crime.

Two of the soldiers shoved him forward and, because he was so lost in his thoughts, he stumbled slightly, barely managing to prevent himself from falling on his face as a result. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he simply righted himself and proceeded out of the plane with the two soldiers following closely. When they had walked out, the whole platoon of soldiers that had accompanied the General to Deling City were standing around their commander, probably in the middle of a debriefing, and security on the floor and near the exits was immense. However, Squall could see, from where he stood near the entrance of the plane, multiple routes that he could use to escape without being detected, but all of which involved using the added strength he acquired from the Guardian Forces he was still junctioned to. The only reason he didn't was the fact that any resistance could lead to a war between both Esthar and Garden, and there was no telling how long it would be before Galbadia joined in as well.

Soon enough though, the Estharian soldiers disbanded from their conversation and immediately filed into formation. As they lead him out of the docking bay, Squall couldn't help but wonder who would frame him so convincingly. Had it been just a normal imposter, they would have figured it out by now, and this whole mess would have never happened. But it had to have been someone who looked and sounded an awful lot like himself, but that was an impossibility. The only method of cloaking a voice was an electronic device designed for such a thing, but even machines weren't perfect and, if recorded or paid the proper attention, were easy to spot. Distinctiveness in a person's voice was so dominant that it could leak through the disguised voice.

As for the appearance, Squall could think of only two people who bore a striking resemblance to himself. One was already dead; had died a long time ago, and the other would never betray the country he had taken charge of. Whoever had pulled it off had to have thought this whole operation out rather quickly and tactfully for them to actually believe it had been him. Squall wondered bitterly if, whoever had framed him, had somehow managed to twist his own genetic code to actually match his own before dissuading the notion. DNA was the only thing in the world that was your own and it could never be altered or tampered with without the aid of chemicals. Even then, it was extremely difficult to match DNA cells with a separate person. The only way that two people could share nearly the exact same biological data was if they were identical twins.

Squall was a hundred percent certain that he was an only child, otherwise the sibling would have accompanied him to the orphanage, and as far as Ellone had explained, it had just been the two of them. Since that was the case, then he was positive that that was also an impossibility.

As he wracked his brain for any conceivable reason as to why the Estharians would be so dead certain that he was their murderer, he realized grimly that he couldn't come up with any. He was absolutely stumped as to how it happened, and was even more clueless as to how to prove himself innocent. They wouldn't take his word for it, nor the words of those he grew up with, due to personal bias. The only way he could prove his own innocence would be to get the Estharians to watch security tapes based back in Deling City, which proved that he was routed in Galbadia during and before the time of the crime.

A voice calling his name jarred him out of his thoughts and he turned to face the direction the call came from. He was surprised to see a dark tall man quickly walking towards the group, dressed in the common dress of the Estharian robes, this one with a brown stripe running down the middle. He wore the small hat that came along with it, but the entire attire seemed out of place on the former soldier of Galbadia.

Kiros must have gotten the General's attention as well, because the man stepped in-between the two. Squall noted grimly that the two soldiers behind him tightened their grip on him, as if they were afraid the newcomer would take away their prisoner.

"What business do you have here, Seagill?" The General asked formally, although with the way he addressed the dark skinned male, Squall discerned that the General had issues with his father's longtime friend and comrade. "If it's to remove the prisoner from our custody, you can just go back to the President and tell him that you couldn't do your job."

"I'm not here to take him with me." Kiros said, not appearing to be intimidated by the man. "I just need to talk to him for a quick second."

"Why?"

"Just call me a messenger." Kiros shrugged. "I have a message to deliver to him from the President. And unlike you, I follow my orders."

_So Laguna didn't give them the go-ahead to go to Deling City…_ Squall thought to himself. _Does this mean that their arrest procedure was invalid, or is Laguna the only one on the board who didn't know about it?_

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" the General challenged, but Kiros waved it off.

"You can take it however you want to. Right now, I have someone to speak to, and I'd prefer to do so in private."

"I don't think you have the authority to—"

"You don't think the authority of the President is enough?" Kiros interrupted. "The President of the Country that you are working for? Then who's jurisdiction would you follow exactly? Adel's?"

Before the General could defend himself, Kiros immediately jumped in once more. "This isn't up for debate Orally. I have my orders from the President, the highest authority in this country, and if you wanna complain about it, feel free to go visit his office. But you are not preventing me from doing what I came for. And if you do, I'll have you arrested under the charges of preventing council from a parental figure towards his ward. Now if you don't mind, get out of my way."

The General glowered at the other man for a moment before suddenly turning around and signaling to his men. Squall noted that the soldiers behind him released their hold on either of his arms before watching the General turn his attention back towards Kiros. "You have two minutes. No more than that."

"Believe me, it won't take that long." Kiros said, leveling the General with a neutral stare. After a moment, the General signaled to his men to keep walking, but appeared to be giving an order to the two soldiers who had been behind Squall in the first place. Squall figured that it was probably an order to break up the conversation between the two of them after two minutes were up.

As soon as the soldiers were out of earshot, Kiros turned his attention towards the teenager, shaking his head as he did. "You're either extremely certain that this whole thing is gonna blow over, or you're really stupid, you know that?"

Squall shrugged. "I know I'm innocent."

"I know you are too, but you could have laid low until this entire mess was sorted out."

"It would have begun a war between Esthar and Garden." Squall argued. "I refuse to be the one who started it."

"Regardless of your actions, a war probably would have begun, but mostly because the General of Esthar was so insistent that you were guilty that he had to invade a country, of which we are trying to establish peaceful ties with, and drag you back." Kiros protested. "Do you honestly believe that the Galbadians will let that fact rest? Caraway may be the only thing preventing a war from breaking out now, but he won't be able to stall for long."

Kiros took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "But I didn't come here to berate you on your actions…as stupid as it was…"

_Then can you get to the point?_ _Squall thought to himself. _

"Your father…" Upon receiving a darkening glare from the teenager, Kiros cleared his throat before reiterating. "…Laguna…told me to tell you not to answer any questions the Estharians may ask you."

Before Squall could utter a sound, Kiros held up his hand to stop him. "I know you don't have anything to hide, but it's so that the Estharians can't twist your words around as easily as they could. Trust me; we have the technology. So avoid answering anything until representatives from Balamb Garden arrive to foresee the interrogation."

Squall frowned slightly. Refusing to co-operate throughout questioning would only make him appear guilty. Of course, he also understood that Kiros held a valid point. If the Estharians' wanted to believe that he was the one responsible for the deaths that had taken place earlier in the morning, then they would use any means to make it seem that way, even if he was innocent. Finally, after a moment to mull the request over, Squall nodded his consent.

Kiros nodded once before looking behind the teenager and shaking his head. "Apparently, our two minutes are up. I'd better head back to the residence anyways and let Laguna know." Frowning slightly, the taller male added almost as an afterthought, "he's not a bad guy, you know."

Sighing, Squall had figured that the topic was unavoidable. "I know." He replied honestly. "But we're far too different to ever get along."

Kiros nodded to himself before the soldiers finally stopped beside the two. "Your two minutes are up."

Rolling his eyes, Kiros folded his arms across his chest before nodding once. "Okay, fine. Have it your way. Well Squall, it was nice talking to you…even under the present circumstances."

Squall didn't even have the chance to nod in agreement as Kiros turned his back on all of them and headed towards one of the other docking gates. Squall assumed he was heading towards the Presidential Residence. The guards then grabbed a hold of the teenager and began the task of hauling him towards the exit the other soldiers had used to leave the docking area. Squall wasn't the least bit surprised to see that it was in the opposite direction that Kiros was heading in.

* * *

While half of the original team who had returned from Deling City were busy escorting their prisoner towards the holding section of the residence, the other half had been separated into two corps. Approximately twenty soldiers had left for the Capital, and out of that amount, only twelve had returned. The General had felt that it was in their best interest if they were to keep an eye or ear on the SeeDs still stationed within the city, just in case their captive had not acted alone as originally thought out. Out of the remaining twelve, two were in charge of securing the prisoner while four others escorted them, including the General himself. The other seven had been ordered to return to their respective duties. 

However, as everyone else had prepared to return to their stations, General Orally had stopped four soldiers in total; two to keep an eye on Seagill while he spoke to Leonhart, and the other two were to report directly to the Cabinet of Esthar.

The Cabinet of Esthar had been formed when Adel had been expelled from the world; held in suspended animation within reach of the lunar base so many years prior. They consisted of men and women who represented the people in their corresponding sectors and, literally, represented the beliefs of those they represented. There were a total of eight sectors within the technologically advanced city, and thus eight people plus the director (a man hand chosen by the President) made up the council. Monthly, the cabinet would hold a meeting in regards towards the public's general interest, but there were times when the cabinet called emergency meetings to discuss times of chaos and what it could do to not only their civilians safety, but their economic interests as well,

Because each of the cabinet members represented different sectors of the city, they were obligated to work within the confines of the Presidential Residence during the day or during nights when it was called upon them, but the President never forced them to stay away from the people they represented. In fact, it was imposed that the members stayed no longer than the required twelve hours of working time and that they returned to their sectors. In fact, he actually encouraged them to leave earlier. This enabled all of them to receive a fair amount of critiques or enthused commentary about how the government was being run. Because of this rule, it made the soldier's work easier, as they could locate the cabinet members when they arrived for work.

They immediately spotted one of the men of the cabinet. He was dressed in the purple robes that set him apart from the other workers within the residence, with the same black stripe running down the front and back that everyone else possessed. He also donned the headwear that was required of all Estharian citizens, and was currently heading towards the board room with a clip-board in hand when he was stopped by the soldiers.

The representative bowed in respect towards the guards, who nodded back in acknowledgement before doing what they had set out to do. "Sir, we have been ordered to inform the cabinet that Leonhart has been apprehended and is currently in Estharian custody."

"So quickly?" The cabinet member responded, seemingly surprised. "I would have thought it would have taken months to secure and detain him."

"That's what we believed too." The other soldier stepped up. "But because of intelligence work we had conducted, the prisoner was found and detained quicker than we had expected."

"I see…" the man said, nodding to himself once. "Well, I sure do feel safer knowing that a murderer is going to pay for his crimes. The evidence team surveyed the murder weapon and it looks like it came from SeeD, which holds a point against him; should he choose to cover up the truth."

Both soldiers exchanged glances before turning back towards the man. "Well then, if you will excuse us…" Both saluted in unison. "We must report back to the General immediately. We'll be sure to tell him exactly what you told us."

"Of course…" The man said. "I wouldn't expect either of you not to." He then watched the retreating forms of the soldiers heading down the hallway before rounding a corner and disappearing from sight. Frowning deeply, he quickly entered the room that served as his office before closing the door and locking it behind him.

After checking the rooms to make sure no one would be able to hear his conversation, he pulled out his cellphone and, after attaching a voice piece onto it, pressed the autodial function. The phone rung for a moment and he was considering hanging up and trying again when someone finally answered the other line. "It's me…" the man said in a hurried voice. "I'm afraid that we may have a snag in the plan…"

He paused momentarily, listening to the response from the other end before speaking once again, all the while searching the room around him, just in case he found something out of place. "It seems that our scapegoat surrendered to the Estharian forces. I thought for sure he would have returned to Garden and they would have begun plotting. It looks as though things have been placed on hold for a bit over here."

He fell silent again, listening to whatever his contact was saying before clearing his throat and speaking again. "Well, they plan to interrogate him on the events that took place earlier this morning. If they discover that he's telling the truth, this whole thing could blow up in our faces."

He paused once more and nodded in response to the person on the other end's commentary. "But sir…do you suppose that it will work out as planned? He has strong evidence that he was nowhere near the crime scene at the time of the crime; witnesses, reports, possibly audio and visual footage…it's all stacked in his favour."

He stopped speaking again before nodding once again. "Yes sir…understood. I will personally see to it that the plan is executed without any further hitches." With that said, he hung up his phone and began the tasks that he had set up for himself the previous day.

**_

* * *

_**

07:12:45

* * *

Laguna looked up as the door to his office opened up, revealing his friend of over twenty years in the doorway. Kiros quickly closed the door behind him and activated the locking mechanism; this time typing in a code so that they're conversation would go uninterrupted. Laguna could tell without looking that his expression revealed his worry but he didn't care. 

"I told him." Kiros said, and Laguna sighed a relief. "Damn near couldn't get past Orally though. Man, the guy is convinced that Squall's a killer."

"We know that it's not true, but it's going to take some proof to convince the rest of Esthar." Laguna said, Ward nodding in agreement behind him. "How much longer until the proceedings?"

"Not long now actually." Kiros said. "Seems like they're not wasting any time here, since Orally wants to question him immediately."

Ward made a face and Kiros laughed lightly, shrugging in response. "Sorry Ward, you're right. It'll be more of an interrogation than anything."

Laguna frowned thoughtfully, drumming his fingers on the top of his desk. He could tell that Ellone was watching him carefully, as were Kiros and Ward, since he didn't tend to adopt an expression as serious as he had now. The General was hell-bent of dragging a confession from the SeeD, and Laguna was almost terrified at what he would do to retrieve it. He had to think of some way to alleviate his fear that something horrible was going to happen when his head snapped up. "I've got it!" he said, smiling for the first time in the last five hours. "Ward, I need you to head down to the holding section of the residence and make sure that the General stays in line during the questioning."

"Which won't be much I assure you." Kiros shrugged. "Squall knows not to say anything unless Garden officials are there."

Ward nodded in response and immediately headed towards the door. Laguna just hoped that they hadn't begun the interrogation just yet.

* * *

The phone on his desk rang and Cid immediately picked it up to answer it. The voice on the opposite end didn't surprise him, but it didn't bring him any comfort either.

"The situation over on this end isn't looking promising." President Caraway stated from his end. "The Estharian soldiers stepped outside of their boarders and invaded our Capital in search for someone who was working along side Galbadia in order to prevent an attempt on my life from taking place. To be honest, Cid, the Galbadians are ready to begin another war, and want to invade Esthar in response to their invasion."

"How drastic are things on your end?" Cid asked.

"For the moment, I'm keeping them under control, but for how long, I'm not sure." Caraway said. "Hopefully, I'll be able to staunch their desire for vengeance for as long as we need, but I'm not holding out too much hope of that happening."

"And what is your position on the situation." Cid said curiously.

A moment of silence lapsed between the two men before a sigh could be heard from the opposite end. "Professionally, I believe that it is in the country's better interest that we wait the situation out. Personally, I agree with my men. It was an outrage that those soldiers waltzed into our country, despite the treaty signed by myself and Loire, and I would initiate an immediate rescue operation to return Squall to his own teammates and comrades. He is innocent; we have audio and visual proof that he was here at the time of the murders, and he shouldn't have to answer to the Estharians just because they are convinced he is guilty."

"I understand how you feel in this situation, Ibrihim." Cid said. "But I don't think that a rescue operation will be in the best interest of your citizens, nor is it necessary. A rescue attempt will only negate what Squall is trying to accomplish, which would be preventing a war from starting. Not only would a war hurt all respective parties involved, but it would also demolish what remains of the United Confederation to the point where it could never be reestablished."

"So what are you suggesting?" Caraway asked curiously.

"The reason I had the Ragnarok touch down on Galbadian soil despite Squall's surrender was to pick up both Dincht and Tilmitt." Cid explained. "Once they arrive at Garden, a group will be assembled and will serve as Representatives on behalf of Balamb Garden, and will immediately depart for Esthar where we will be witness to the questioning process. This way, the Estharians will have a difficult time trying to twist Squall's words around to make him look guilty."

"And what should I do to help in the meantime?"

"Keep your men at bay for a while longer." Cid said. "We need to keep Galbadia out of this dispute for as long as possible."

* * *

Almost immediately after being taken to the security sector of the Estharian Residence, Squall had been placed within the confines of an interrogation room, seated in a wooden chair facing the wall behind a simple wooden table. He sat slouched back, his arms folded in front of his chest resembling a semblance of calm which, by all rights, was entirely superficial. Mentally speaking, Squall was a nervous wreck, but it wasn't because he knew they would find out something he was hiding, since of course they would find nothing. 

He was worried about his comrades and Garden itself. The fact that they could twist his words around and make him seem guilty when he wasn't was reason enough for him to keep his mouth shut during the interrogation, but the fact that they could turn his silence around unnerved him as well. What if they decided to threaten Garden in order to pry the questions out of him? He would be damned if anything happened to his home and the people that he cared about just because the Estharians were too stubborn to believe that he could actually be telling them the truth.

But these worries had not prevented him from following through with the agreement he had made with Kiros. If he did say something, it could inevitably be used against him, and there was no way he could allow that to happen. Garden would go to war against Esthar for twisting the situation around and blaming a member of SeeD of instigating the conflict, while Esthar would just stand by their belief that he was guilty to begin with. At this point in time, Squall didn't want to even think about the possibility of Galbadia's involvement.

So he had sat calmly as the General and the Cabinet representative of Esthar had thrown out question after question. The only time he had responded verbally to anything either of the people in front of him had been after the first question had been asked, when Squall had announced his silence until the representatives of Garden had arrived and were in this room as well, monitoring the conversation. Mentioning something like this was akin to refusing to answer any questions without a lawyer present. Squall was still entitled to his rights, and those rights stated that unless he had the responding representative present, he had the right to refuse to answer until they arrived.

Eventually, the General and the representative had grown tired of the one sided conversation and had excused themselves, leaving the confines of the room and leaving the SeeD alone to his thoughts.

Squall scowled at himself as the same doubts that had plagued his mind for the past two hours had resurfaced, and proceeded in beating them down with logic. It was because he didn't want to see those around him hurt that he had chosen to surrender. Running would have led to needless bloodshed and he refused to be a part of it. Besides, he never ran away from anything in his life, and he was going to be damned if he started now.

Meanwhile, outside of the confines of the interrogation room, the General of Esthar couldn't have been more livid than he was at that point. It was at times such as this that he hated the laws that awarded the prisoners the right to council. It made things so much more difficult, and he didn't want to have to wait until the Garden Representatives arrived. He had been informed of this by the Representative who had accompanied him towards the interrogation, and it had set his mood afoul. The representative didn't appear to be impressed either, and was tapping her fingers along her upper arms in an attempt to by-pass it.

"Dammit…" The General said, slouching into a chair stationed outside of the interrogation room. "Looks like he's got us beat here. Unless his friggin' council shows up, he's not saying a word."

"That's not necessarily true…" the Representative said, looking up from her train of thoughts. "There is always one way we could get him to talk."

The General thought about what she was insinuating before immediately shaking his head in response. "No. Absolutely not. We're not Adelists here; we're not going to resort to force in order to get the answers we need."

"But it seems as though it's the only chance we have to get some concrete evidence against him." The representative protested. "I know it would make us just as bad as Adel herself while she was in rule, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't resort to it."

Just as Orally was about to protest once again, the soldiers who were stationed outside of the room spoke up. "I agree with the representative." The soldier said. "We need to get a confession from him, and if beating him up is the only way to do it, then so be it."

"I agree." The second soldier stated. "I'd say it's better than what he deserves after what he did to those people. Maybe it's high-time that he realizes the kind of suffering he's caused on those who lost their loved ones earlier this morning."

"But he's junctioned with Guardian Forces." Orally protested. "Even if we did decide to beat the answers out of him, which could end up being used against us in the end by the way, it probably wouldn't hurt him nearly as much as we'd have wanted it to."

"But who's to say that there isn't a sort of light switch to prevent his junctions from protecting him." The representative argued. "There's a magic-barrier inside of each interrogation room, which negates any form of magical amplification or any form of magic period. Who's to say that we couldn't just use that in our favour?"

"That's why it was installed to begin with." One of the soldiers stated. "To prevent prisoners who knew how to manipulate magical energies from using those talents to escape. Not even Adel herself would have been able to escape from here."

"Look General, I don't agree with the tactic either, in fact, I find it ludicrous that I was the one to broach the subject." The representative explained with a shudder of disgust. "But it's the only option we have left, besides waiting for Garden to come by and manipulate his answers, or going to the President with our concerns. I don't know about you, but I personally would like to get this interrogation over with, and you've said it yourself. The President has sentimentality towards the prisoner because they're related to one another, so obviously that bypasses his judgment on the matter."

The General closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift into thought. He hated the idea of torturing anyone, even during war. Torture should only be used as a final resort and in war that was always the ending principal. Loire would be of no sufficient help, since his judgment was clouded with parental instincts, and waiting for someone to arrive when they had the guilty party within their grasps didn't make any sense in his mind. So it was with that thought in mind the General gave a heavy sigh before nodding in response. "Alright…we'll continue the interrogation in a few minutes."

* * *

**_

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_**

07:35:02

* * *

Quistis frowned as she took in the sight of the broken building that lay around her. While the Orphanage had been their home, it had been poorly maintained as the years had gone by, leaving behind nothing more than discrepant ruins. It was a small wonder that the woman they were looking for lived there in the first place. 

Sighing, Quistis knew that the dilapidated state of her former home was not the only reason she was displeased. She would be relaying to their surrogate mother that one of her children was being tried for a crime he couldn't possibly have committed and that the worst part was he had allowed himself to be apprehended. Quistis had no idea how the elder woman would take the news, but she knew she wouldn't be too surprised if Edea retorted in anger and shock.

As soon as the Ragnarok had touched down, Quistis had informed the rest of the crew her wish for them to stay inside of the Ragnarok. She didn't want to come across as a group mainly because of the delicate nature that the news would leave the elder woman. Quistis' thought was that if Edea received the message from another one of her surrogate children, the news would be taken a little less extremely. Of course she didn't believe that Edea wouldn't be in a state of shock afterwards, but the fact of the matter was the larger the number the more intimidated the subject was. This was when she had volunteered to relay the news herself. As much as she would rather be doing something else at that moment, she knew that she would feel better if she got the job done herself.

Approaching the front of the orphanage, she took in a deep breath, preparing herself before she knocked on the wooden door, which seemed to be one of the only things that remained intact throughout the aging process of the ruins. But movement to her left caught her eye before her knuckles could even connect to the object and she carefully walked in the direction of the movement. Keeping a hand on top of the combat knife secured at her side, she walked between the stone spires and headed towards the flower garden.

Upon seeing who had made the movement, Quistis immediately dropped her defensive stance and continued the rest of the way towards the end of the porch, sighing in relief. The woman she was searching for was within the massive ocean of flowers, tending to them with her seemingly natural green thumb. The former Sorceress had not changed at all since the end of the war. Her dark hair still fell to her waist and she still wore the familiar black dress with the grey sleeves. While most people would believe that this was the sign of a woman morning the loss of someone dear to her, Quistis felt that she brought out the colour in the otherwise mundane shade. Currently, Edea Kramer was also wearing a beige straw hat to keep the hot desert like sun out of her eyes and gardening gloves so as not to prick herself on the thorns on some of the flowers.

After collecting herself, Quistis slowly made her way down towards the beginning of the flowerbed, and began maneuvering within the massive field so as not to harm any of the thriving wildlife. It took longer than she would have liked to reach the woman but not too much time for her to lose her patients. Edea's back was turned to her the entire time, and thus was the reason why she had not been spotted.

Suddenly the former sorceress stopped what it was that she was doing and turned to greet her visitor, smiling as she did. "Quistis…I have not seen you in a while. How have you been?"

Wishing desperately that she had come to visit on better terms, Quistis smiled back weakly. "We've been alright." She said, in reference to all of her children. "We've just been busy."

"With the confederation." Edea said. "I completely understand. I know I for one would not wish for another incident such as Ultimecia to take place again. I'm sure that you will all ensure that it will not." The smile faded and Edea tilted her head to the side. "But I sense that this is not the reason you have come. What is wrong?"

Quistis smiled slightly despite the situation. Matron had always been able to read anyone as if reading a book. Even though she had passed on her powers to Rinoa during the War, Edea still retained some traces of them and thus seemed like a sorceress herself sometimes. "It's unfortunate that I'm not here on a social call, Matron. I actually have come to relay some disturbing news to you."

Edea fell silent as Quistis took in another deep breath. "There has been a situation that will undoubtedly endanger the production of the United Confederation. Someone, we're not sure who, entered the Estharian Residence at 5 o'clock Balamb Time. This would make it around 2 o'clock in the morning in Esthar. The suspect then proceeded to locate random workers of the United Confederation, and kill them one by one. By the time the Estharians were able to find him, he had already successfully killed five of them.

"The suspect escaped, and is currently on the lookout. The worst part of this entire thing is that they believe that a SeeD from Balamb Garden is responsible for executing the act."

Edea appeared thoughtful for a moment and just as Quistis was about to interject, the elder woman spoke up. "They believe that it was Squall?"

Quistis looked at the woman in surprise. "How did you know?"

Edea sighed. "What the Estharians are suggesting is that they're security is impenetrable. They believe that whoever got past them either had to have used force, or was given access to the Presidential Residence. From the way you have described it, there was no sign of forced entry, correct?"

Quistis shook her head and Edea nodded, seemingly to herself. "And out of the Balamb SeeDs, who has the connections to be able to not only enter the Residence without any resistance, but to be able to murder that many people before being detected?"

Quistis lost herself in thought. It made absolute sense! Why hadn't anyone thought of it before? "Whoever is the real murderer knew that if he wanted to frame someone for the crime, he would need to make it believable. And because of that, only a handful of people would have been able to use, mainly from our team because we're heroes. But he also knew that he would have to choose between all of us, to make it even more believable. Squall is Laguna's son; the President of Esthar's son. Of course security would allow him access to the Residence at that late hour. The guard must have believed Squall had some business with Laguna."

"And only a handful of people in Esthar even know that they are related." Edea continued. "The ones who know are Laguna's close friends. Garden knows mainly to prevent any biased judgment when it comes to not only operations but between the countries themselves."

"Which means that there **is** a traitor in Garden…" Quistis said in shock. "Someone in Garden is working with these terrorists. That's the only explanation that would explain how they know about Squall and Laguna's relation."

"You had best return to Garden." Edea said. "You must warn Cid about the traitor and you must do it quickly, before the traitor is able to leak any more secrets. And to warn Squall about what is happening."

"That's not the only reason I came here." Quistis said. "The Headmaster asked me to bring you back with us to Garden before heading towards Esthar." Frowning deeply, Quistis forced herself to say the words she dreaded saying. "He…Squall surrendered to the Estharians and they're holding him in Esthar as we speak."

Quistis didn't even need to see the look of shock and horror that had passed over the former Sorceress' expression to know that it was there. Everyone had been devastated when they had realized what Squall had done. "From what President Caraway and the Headmaster have told us, he surrendered so that the Estharians wouldn't start a war with Garden. I don't agree with what he has done, but I think he feels that he had no choice."

"Then we must hurry." Edea said, her features set in a determined expression. "If the Estharians believe that Squall is guilty, then they will wish to force a confession from him. We must get there in time to stop it."

* * *

Squall waited patiently for the interrogation to start up again, but he already knew what it was that he was going to do. Escape was not an option this time, as it would have been under any other circumstance, but he would not comment on anything until Garden representatives arrived. He would not give the Estharians' any reason to belief that he was a murderer, and hopefully they would realize their mistake so that they would be able to start searching for the real murderer. 

The guards could take all day to return for all he cared, his thoughts among other things. One thing was certain; whoever committed the murders had thought this entire thing through, which meant that he had not acted alone, as the Estharians were being led to believe. The man they were looking for probably had a group backing him up; there was no way that one person alone could pull this whole thing off. They would have needed help, and connections. For instance, how had the Estharians known so quickly that he was in Deling City? They would have had to have been given the information, since hacking systems tended to take a little while, especially in Garden when everything was monitored consistently.

_So there's either a traitor in Garden, or in Esthar…possibly both. It wouldn't be Kiros or Ward; they're loyal to Laguna. The same goes for Sis too, she would never go against him. It may be someone within the cabinet, or someone else that holds sway over decisions. It wouldn't make sense to put someone on the inside without them having a practical use or access to valuable information. _

As his thoughts continued to hold their possession over his mind, questions began to plague him and when he discovered the answers to them, then more questions would arise in a continuous cycle. Someone within Garden would have had to given access to the Estharian ship, which meant that there was definitely someone on the inside who had wanted the Estharians to find him. The knowledge that only a select few knew exactly who his father was also helped him come to this conclusion, and also aided in the possible existence of a traitor within Esthar. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before someone slipped up, but that didn't mean it would happen before the situation escalated even further; possibly to the point where he wouldn't be able to help his comrades and family at all.

The sound of the door opening and slamming shut broke him from his train of thought and he looked up to see the Estharian General flanked with two of his soldiers. The Cabinet representative was standing off to the side; seemingly blocking his view from the door.

Normally, interrogations only consisted of two people; the interrogator and the interrogated. Soldiers would be stationed outside of the room just in case the prisoner managed to get by the interrogator. In some cases; a third party would be present; most likely a lawyer or a representative of behalf of the prisoner while in extremely rare cases, the Cabinet representative (on behalf of the president of course). It was standard protocol. But seeing three additional individuals, of whom did not fit the additional requirements put the SeeD on edge. Whatever they were planning, he didn't like it in the least.

The representative nodded her head as the clicking of the electronic lock resounded within the otherwise desolate room, and Squall rose to his feet, steeling himself for the worst. The gesture must have put the Estharians on alert as well, for they suddenly appeared on either side of him, and just as Squall was wondering how they could move so quickly, he felt a sort of draining sensation. It wasn't like the draining effects of the spell of the same name, which continuously zapped at the target's strength and rejuvenated the spell caster, but it was ominous all the same. Reaching into the section of his mind that housed his Guardian Forces, he was surprised to find that they were being suppressed. He could barely sense them at all, let alone tap into the extra powers they granted him.

The added information didn't add any reassurance in the teenager's mind; in fact it squashed whatever positive notions he had left of the situation. He had had a feeling something like this was bound to happen; since he wasn't co-operating and given into them, they were planning on a real interrogation. Of course he had been up against torture tactics before, and he could hold his own against them, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the notion.

The two soldiers clamped a hand on each of the teenager's shoulders before forcing him back into his seat and, without his junctions, he couldn't remove their grasp. As soon as he was seated once again, he frowned deeply, waiting for what the General had in store for him.

"Don't bother trying to break out of their grip." The representative stated. "Right now, precautions have been assured to prevent you from using the additional strength granted to you by your Guardian Forces. It'd be far easier to just co-operate with us."

The General walked around the table stationed between him and his prisoner and Squall tensed in anticipation, waiting for whatever tactics the General was preparing to use. But what surprised the SeeD was that in the General's hands was not a weapon, but a manila folder, filled with something that he wouldn't be able to identify until he was able to get a better look at it.

One of the soldiers stepped aside as the General approached the teenager and immediately afterwards, dropped the manila folder on top of the table before quickly opening it up. Within were a few documents and photographs, which caused the SeeD to raise an eyebrow. He didn't have any time to think about the strangeness of the setting, however, since the General immediately grabbed one of the pictures and shoved it into the teenager's face. The picture was of a man with graying brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a casual blue golf shirt and a pair of white pants. He was standing beside two adult females; one with dark brown hair, and the other with blond hair and light brown roots, telling Squall that she had dyed her hair. Both were dressed in white tennis uniforms and the group of three were smiling at the camera, as if nothing had gone wrong.

"Chase Douglass; age 64. Married for 15 years, he has two daughters and a grandchild who is just approaching her first birthday."

Moving that picture out of view, the second picture was a grisly sight. The before mentioned man was lying face up, a puddle of blood resting just underneath his neck, where a cut stared up into the light from one ear to the other. Judging by the angle, Squall was almost positive that the entrance point of the knife had been from the right ear and stroked towards the left, meaning that the perpetrator had to have been either left handed or ambidextrous.. This didn't work at all in his favour, since he, himself, was ambidextrous.

"He was the first to die; killed in his office without mercy, his throat being slit from ear to ear." The General continued. "What do you suppose his children and grandchild will say to his murder? What of his widow? What do you suppose we should tell them?"

Before Squall could even make a sound, the General removed the two pictures from view and revealed two more; this time of a woman who couldn't have been any older than her mid forties. She had shoulder length dark hair and green eyes and was dressed in a fuchsia coloured kimono in the picture taken while she was still alive. The second photograph depicted her seated at her desk, only her eyes were blood red and there were signs of strangulation having taken place. "What about this woman's husband? What about her sister and her nieces and nephew? How should we explain to them all the reason Kristina Markesan is late from coming home from work, or why she's never coming back?"

The third set of pictures depicted a man with dirty-brown hair and light blue eyes. He was standing behind a woman with his arms draped around her shoulders. In the photograph the woman was looking back up at the man but in the second photo right beside it, the man was lying on the ground, his neck bent in an awkward position. "Or how about the woman in the photograph? How do you suppose we tell her that her cousin is dead?"

The forth pictures had a man with dark hair and dark eyes, dressed in a brown business suit with a white shirt and black tie underneath. His arm was draped around the shoulders of a younger man who was no doubt the man's son, dressed with a black cloak and a black square-shaped hat that signaled graduation. Both were smiling in that picture. However in the one adjacent from it showed a man with a small gap in the area that would have housed his wind pipe. From what the SeeD could tell, he must have suffocated due to the lack of air circulating towards his cardiac vessels leading towards the heart. It was a long and painful way to die.

"This one was still alive for a little while, but by the time we arrived, the damage had been done and we were far too late. The poor man couldn't even speak? Do you suppose it'll be easier on those who will have to tell his son exactly what happened to him?"

As the fifth photograph was pushed into view, Squall had no idea what to think about any of this. It seemed as though the murderer had taken a point to make his victims suffer before they died, and none of these people had been spared the notion. The final picture depicted a man with dark graying hair standing next to a man who appeared to be a younger version of the victim. While one was dressed in a very professional manner, the other appeared far more laid back; wearing a ruffled shirt and a pair of loose jeans with holes in them. Both appeared to be glaring at one another, but upon looking into the eyes of the occupants, one could tell that they were extremely close.

"Maybe you'll feel better knowing that this man hardly had any relative's left." The General was saying, breaking through Squall's line of thoughts. "But that won't ease the pain of his younger brother, who was living in the same apartment. Fortunately, his body was the one that had you caught; since you left the murder weapon behind, but that's not even worthy of being considered a reprisal!"

Upon turning his attention towards the photograph beside the first, Squall resisted the urge to look away, having already seen the result of the other four victims' encounter with the murderer. A blade had been imbedded within the confines of the man's stomach, more than likely puncturing an artery. In fact, it looked as if the weapon had been turned in a ninety degree angle, twisting the victim's insides and causing internal damage that probably wouldn't have been properly healed had the man survived the attack.

Squall understood that killing was a part of what it was to be a SeeD, and despite the fact that Garden was changing it's morals, the teenager knew that he had killed before; during battle while defending himself and getting his missions completed. Just because the circumstances were far different than this one didn't excuse the fact that his hands were stained with his opponents' blood, but all the same Squall understood that it had been necessity at the time. It was either kill or be killed; a SeeD could not hesitate in battle, otherwise he risks the lives of not only himself, but his teammates and clients as well. What this man had done had been purely self beneficial; cruel and twisted. The man had murdered in cold blood and Squall now understood why they had been so angered by this attack.

To believe that anyone was capable of such a cold-hearted act was disgusting in itself; but to know that a man of whom the world was thankful for saving them had done was far more disheartening.

He wanted to deny that he was involved; that he had had absolutely nothing to do with the horrific crime and that he was sorry that it had even taken place, but his voice wouldn't work. Whenever he tried to say the words he so desperately wanted to say, it felt as if his throat was stopping his vocal cords from vibrating; from conducting the simplest of actions that anyone else would have been able to do. His throat was dry; not out of fear, but out of anger mixed with sorrow for not only the victims that would never again awaken to the world around them, but to those who would suffer the most because of this crime.

"You're silence says it all, murderer." The General spat, venom apparent in his own gruff voice. "The fact that you have nothing to say on your behalf is what proves that you are, in fact, guilty. The fact that you refuse to utter a word of defense speaks louder than any words of denial ever could. At least you're human enough to actually feel guilt for the crime you committed."

It was then that Squall was finally able to find his voice before shooting up from his seat so quickly that the soldier standing behind him, who had relaxed his grip on the teenager's shoulder, not only couldn't grab a hold of him once more, but actually fell backwards onto his rear in response to the sudden movement. All thoughts of precaution had been tossed aside as the SeeD felt that it was time to defend himself against such vulgar accusations. "I didn't do any of this!" Squall shouted, before even realizing what it was that he was doing. "Does the fact that you wish to point the finger at someone so quickly have you blinded to that possibility! I was in Deling at the time of the murder; how could I have possibly had enough time to arrive in Esthar, carry out the act and then have enough time to travel back to the other side of the world before any of you caught on?"

Shaking his head slightly, Squall could no longer block the words from protruding from his mouth no matter how hard he wanted to at this point. "SeeD may have murdered their enemies; we may have blood stained on our hands for the rest of our lives because of this, but just because it's true doesn't automatically mean I'm so bloodthirsty that I would kill without a cause. I can't speak for anyone else, but I would **never **murder **anyone** unless I had a reason."

There was a moment where no one within the room spoke. The silence was so deafening that the slightest shuffle or movement could be detected by even the dullest of hearing. The occupants of the interrogation room were enveloped in such a shock that most wondered how sharp the knife would be to just cut through it. Squall himself was shocked at the outburst that had just taken place and, closing his eyes in realization, wished that he could turn back time and rebuild the resolution he had had before the interrogation had taken place.

"So you deny that you committed the crime?" the General barked outraged.

"I just said all that I'm going to say." Squall said, knowing fully well the damage that had just been done. "Anything else will wait until the representatives from Garden arrive."

In the amount of time it took him to blink, he found himself pinned up against the closest wall, the General's arm pushing against his throat and keeping him pinned where he was.

"You think you're so high and mighty just because of the meaning behind your name!" The General barked out. "You think that just because of who you are, and because of the connections you possess that you will get away with this just because you claim to have not committed the act. Well you're wrong. Everyone within Esthar pays for whatever crime is committed; regardless of his or her identity and your situation will not be any different."

Squall merely stared back at him, refusing to allow himself to lose his temper. "If you think that I'm going to hide behind your president just because he happens to be the reason I exist in the first place, then your mistaken. I own up to my own actions, but only when I have done something wrong. To be perfectly honest, my father could be anyone else for all I'd care, and that's all I have to say."

Squall didn't know what he had expected after the remark, and indeed he had been surprised when the General had raised his fist and punched him square in the face with enough force to practically unhinge his jaw. Just as he was recovering from the surprise attack, the General followed through with another right hook, this time dropping the teenager and watching as he fell onto the floor on both hands and knees. Squall wiped at his mouth and found that his lip had been split due to the punch, but could do nothing else as the General bent down and grabbed him by the front of his shirt before pushing him against the wall once again.

Since the action was brought on by the elder man's rage, the back of Squall's head bounced off the wall, stunning him in the process. Just as the General was about to throw another punch, however, Squall felt the weight from his chest lifted and slumped onto the ground as the room around him begun to spin. Raising his right hand to hold up his head, he looked up to see the General being pushed back onto the opposite end of the table by a man dressed in the formal Estharian dress; a rather large white robe with a green stripe stretching from the middle of the uniform. A hat sat upon the hulking figure's head and since there was only one person Squall knew who could hold height of seven feet, he immediately recognized the figure and didn't know whether to silently thank whoever it was who sent him down foresee the interrogation, or to groan since he had a feeling he knew who had.

Ward stood in the center of the room, between Squall and the enraged General, glaring at the occupants of the room, silently daring them to do anything else. After a moment of silence, Ward turned on one of the soldiers and gestured at him before the soldier immediately saluted and ran off, probably in fear of the consequences should he resist. The giant then turned his gaze back on the General before gesturing once again. The Estharian man, who by no means reached Ward's impressive height, glowered at him briefly before quickly stalking outside of the room, slamming the door behind him in the process.

* * *

**The Time is now 8 a.m.

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**


	7. 7th Hour

_

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_

**The Following takes place between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.

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**

Garden was a structure that almost everyone within the world knew of. It represented a third party that had begun to take form during a time when the idea of war was beginning to become further from people's minds. The original idea was for SeeD, the force that dwelled within the structure, to prevent another power-hungry Sorceress from taking the reigns of control and leading the world down a path of destruction and bloodshed. However, this vision had been lost due to corruption, secrecy and greed.

The one man to create this hope for the world had been too weak at the time to see that there were people within the world that would use his trusting nature for their own selfish advantages. This had cost him greatly in time and effort, and by the time he was able to regain the reigns of control, it had nearly been too late. The young people who made up SeeD had been completely ignorant to their force's true reason for existing and it had nearly cost them everything. Fortunately, they had been able to learn from past mistakes and recovered quickly in the face of their destined adversary.

Currently, the man who formed SeeD and Garden sat at his desk, tapping his pen along the side, pondering the way he should phrase his next order to, not a subordinate, but rather a business colleague. Garden was run under two pretences; one was that of a school, teaching those who were in need of being taught the various necessities in life; such as literature, mathematics, sciences, etc. In most cases, this description also co-existed with its other identity; that of a military base. The teaching part of the Garden was to ensure that the students knew all that they needed to know before joining the ranks of SeeD, while the military faction ensured that the graduates maintained such practices and knowledge so as not to put it all to waste. Even though such titles went hand in hand, the organization needed two minds to run the separate tasks smoothly.

While Headmaster Cid was in charge of the school-like tendencies Garden had adopted so long ago, a Commander of the military section was needed. Since the resignation of the previous commander had taken place, Cid had chosen his second choice to take over, which was why Conrad Greenwood was currently standing in his office, saluting him as if he were his superior.

Cid allowed the pen to rest atop of his desk before sighing out loud. "How many times do I have to tell you that we are equal in rank? There's no need for formalities."

"Sorry about that sir, er, Cid…" Conrad spoke in a Dollet accent. He was a well groomed individual, with short black hair kept in place at all times, and dressed in his SeeD uniform with a pair of standard military boots, although they had been buffed. Cid wondered briefly if everything that came into contact with the young man was folded precisely in a strategic order. _He's worse than Quistis…_ Cid thought to himself in amusement.

"It's a force of habit." The teenager continued, moving out from his salute. "You wanted to speak to me?"

Cid nodded before leaning forward. "I understand that you have much to do in preparation for Garden and SeeD's career change, but this is a matter of urgency that cannot be ignored. Terrorists have managed to sneak into the Estharian Residence early this morning and murder five of the members of the United Confederation before being caught. The man escaped and the Estharians are under the pretence that Squall was the one who committed the acts."

Conrad appeared stunned at the explanation but said nothing as Cid continued. "The Estharians currently have him within their custody, and will most likely try to force a confession out of him."

"But according to Garden records, he was no where near Esthar City at that time." Conrad protested. "There's no way he could have committed the crime."

"I know. That is why representatives from Garden will be heading towards Esthar in order to be present during the questioning process." Cid explained. "And I will be accompanying them. As one of the heads of Garden, it's my responsibility."

"But I can't seem to understand how the Estharians were able to apprehend him. And so quickly might I add…" Conrad stated. "He's one of our best; so obviously, it should have taken them longer to find and bring him in."

"Squall allowed the Estharians to capture him to prevent another war from beginning." Cid explained. "Unfortunately, with Galbadia in turmoil due to the invasion…"

"Invasion?" Conrad interrupted. "What exactly is going on, Headmaster?"

Cid sighed again, reminding himself that Conrad had not been involved with the original situation to begin with. "In response to the murders, the Estharian General felt that it was his civil right to recruit a squad of Estharians soldiers and to travel towards the Capital of Galbadia to retrieve him. The Galbadians are not thrilled with that knowledge and it's taking everything their president has to keep them from attacking Esthar."

"If this is the way the Estharians thank someone for saving their lives, then maybe it was a mistake to defeat Sorceress Ultimecia." Conrad stated. "I understand that SeeD was her ultimate targets, but in the end, she would have gone after Esthar just as she had taken over Galbadia. If it weren't for Squall, the whole world would be in shambles as we speak."

"I know that." Cid said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"And what's the president doing about all this?" Conrad asked. "What's his plan on dealing with the situation, considering that he is his son, after all?"

"President Loire is doing his level best to ensure that this entire mess is sorted out. He understands the impossibility of Squall's involvement, but the rest of Esthar doesn't seem to want to listen."

"Well it doesn't seem as though he's trying hard enough since one of our men is being detained by one of his people." Conrad argued before sighing deeply. "Still, it is probably his authority alone that is keeping his citizens from forming a lynch mob."

Cid rose from his seat, nodding in agreement to the second statement before speaking once more. "The reason I called you into my office is that this situation is to remain on a need to know basis while I'm away. Until the situation calls for it, I don't want any other SeeDs or students to hear about this."

"Of course not; I completely understand." Conrad nodded. "They all look up to him; I believe that everyone's moral would take a blow for the worst should this information leak out."

"Alright then." Cid said before the intercom came to life once again on his desk. Xu's voice came through the speaker and gained the attention of the two men.

"Sir, the Ragnarok just finished contacting me. They are set to arrive within the next forty minutes."

Cid pressed the red button on his desk before answering. "Thank you Xu." He said before cutting off the transmission. Nodding once to Conrad, he proceeded towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, Commander, I have some preparations I need to see to before my transport arrives."

"Just a moment, Headmaster…" Conrad said, catching Cid's attention. "If I may be so bold, I'm getting the sudden feeling that you're not telling me all there is to know about your plans for the situation."

At this, Cid stopped his movements towards the door and turned to stare at the Commander of Garden. After a moment passed between them, he finally spoke. "I have informed you of all you need to know at the current time."

At this, Conrad nodded quickly and assumed a salute as the Headmaster left the room, all the while feeling that he was being left out of the loop about something.

* * *

The room that he had been moved to after the failed interrogation was akin to that of an office. There were four desks within the room, all of which were stacked with papers, probably waiting to be filed, and each possessed at least a chair with thin cushioning on the back and seating parts of the objects and wheels on the bottom to provide convenience for the person sitting within, in case they needed to move from one side of their desk to the next. 

Squall found himself seated in one of these chairs, his wrist having been attached to the handle of a locked drawer by another set of handcuffs. He didn't complain about the chair; in fact, he was rather surprised he actually received one, so heavy was the crime they believed he had committed.

Frowning slightly, he couldn't believe what he had done back in interrogation. Simple photographs should not have been enough to force him to respond that negatively, but whenever he thought about it, the gruesome images he had been forced to look upon blared into his mind; as if they were sitting in front of him at that moment. It felt like the ones who had died were haunting him; condemning him to their deaths when it was another who had killed them.

_But no matter how gruesome the photographs, I should have been able to keep my resolve._ Squall thought to himself bitterly. SeeD was trained to withstand such tactics from enemy forces (not that he saw Esthar as an enemy at that moment), but he had crumbled as soon as they had begun showing him the result the murderer had left in his wake; innocent people whose lives had become locked within time forever. They would never age, nor would they witness the events revolving around their friends and loved ones, as they would have wished.

Irritably slamming the side of his fist into the desk, Squall allowed himself to burry his head within the confines of his hands. Whoever was responsible had been bloodthirsty, and as far as his understanding went, SeeD Candidates who appeared bloodthirsty while taking the field exam were failed immediately. Seifer had been one of them, despite the obvious fact that he had, once again, broken the rules.

The impact with the desk hadn't hurt, which proved to Squall that his contact with the junctions he possessed had been re-established once he had left that room, but it didn't make him feel any better to know this. It would do him no good because he had no intention of escape.

Sensing someone nearby, Squall looked back up to see Ward returning, pausing to nod in acknowledgement to the two guards stationed outside before entering the room. In his left hand was an icepack, and Squall understood exactly what it was for. Brushing his thumb across his split lip, he mentally reminded himself that since they believed he was their murderer, and had become frustrated that he had not spoken a word (in defence of the murder or confessing to it). Naturally, one would turn to violence; if not physically, then by mental depiction; it was simply the way the mind worked. Even the mildest tempered person succumbed to this result. Knowing that he was innocent and that they had resorted to such tactics had not changed his disposition around them, since he understood the reasons behind the actions. But he also knew that if he didn't get things sorted out very quickly, then there would be nothing he could do to stop the real terrorists.

Ward handed the teenager the icepack and Squall immediately set it upon his left cheek, one of the places the General had punched him. "Thanks…" he muttered, breaking the building silence within the room.

Ward nodded his acknowledgement before shifting his facial expression. Normally, he would need Kiros to interpret what he had been meaning to say, but Squall had viewed parts of his past through Laguna, and was able to understand some of the things the hulking figure wanted to say. Having had his vocal cords damaged during the raid in Centra so long ago, Ward had lost the ability to speak and had thus ended up forced to rely on his friends to communicate for him.

It was one of those times where Squall understood what Ward wanted to say, and in response to the unspoken question the teenager shook his head. "Worse has happened, Ward. Don't worry about it; I'm alright."

Of course his bruising hurt, but only slightly compared to everything he had been through during the Sorceress War. He had been struck near the heart with a spear formed completely out of ice when he had tried to assassinate Ultimecia in Deling; tortured due to electrical currents running through his body courtesy of his rival, beaten, battered, bruised and nearly lost within Time Compression.

Regardless of these facts, however, he was not alright, and it had nothing to do with the physical attack the General had instigated. Mentally, Squall was still only beginning to recover from the psychological warfare that went on once witnessing the results of the murders that had been committed. The idea that _anyone_ could commit such an act not only willingly but eagerly was disgusting to him. Murders may have happened, but people who enjoyed it were extremely revolting; had always been to him. It was an unfortunate fact that more people like the real murderer existed in the world, but it was a fact nonetheless.

More movement was sensed from the entrance of the office and both Squall and Ward turned their attention towards the door as one man entered. He was dressed completely in black excluding the white shirt underneath his uniform jacket. He was bald, possessing dark skin and sunglasses of which shielded his eyes from view. Attached to his ear was obviously a listening device, with a winding cord that stretched into his pocket. Squall figured that even the sunglasses the man wore also possessed some sort of tele-electronic device, since of course they were inside of the building and the lights weren't that bright.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The man spoke as soon as the office door was closed behind him. "James Logans, Chief of Presidential Security, otherwise known as Secret Service."

There was no need for the man to explain what his job was to do, for Squall already understood what the job description required of him. Not only was his job to protect the President when escorting him from within the confines of the residence, but he was also in charge of the numerous amount of staff that kept an eye on the perimeter from possible terrorist activities. He was also in charge of the teams who kept close surveillance through the numerous camera's located in corners or overtop doors. This almost insinuated that his eyes were everywhere and that if something happened; this man knew when and where it occurred.

James had not extended his hand; not that Squall had expected him to. In exception to when he had first met Rinoa, he had never been one to shake hands with any individual he had just met. When it came down to it, no matter who the person was or which side they claimed to be on, he was always suspicious during the first encounter. Ward seemed to know him though, and made no move or indication not to trust this man. Still, Squall wasn't so sure.

"I apologize for our Generals' actions towards you during the questioning process." James continued. "Nevertheless, this does not mean that we will treat you with any civility, given the circumstances."

"I didn't expect you to." Squall stated flatly.

James chose to ignore the comment, or so Squall thought, and merely adjusted the glasses on his face. "But to ensure your safety, we have requested that you wait within the confines of this room until the questioning commences once again, this time with guards barring everyone, save myself and Mr. Zabac, entrance under any circumstances. Of course, the President is also an exception to this order…"

_And just when I was beginning to like this guy…_ Squall thought to himself sarcastically.

"…but given the level of duress he is suffering from, I doubt he'll be able to leave his desk." James continued, oblivious to the thoughts of the SeeD. "In the meantime, I will ask that you do not leave this room under any circumstances until the questioning is ready to continue or until I state otherwise."

Pulling his arm up from the top of the desk, Squall gestured towards the handcuffs that kept him tied down to the desk. "Not like I can leave anyway…"

"You still possess your junctions." James stated. "Mentioning that, I will have to ask that you relinquish your junctions into our custody until this whole matter is settled. It's for our assurance that you will not attempt to escape our custody."

Ward appeared to want to protest but Squall put up his hand to stop the gentle giant. Closing his eyes in concentration, he grasped at the foreign entities circling within his mind before opening his eyes and concentrating onto his free hand. Three glowing lights focused into his upturned palm before dimming to reveal three tiny orbs, one near to black, one white and one yellow, that looked like ordinary marbles. However, theses circular objects pulsed with the thoughts and minds of the Guardian Forces Balamb Garden was famous for utilizing.

James pulled out a plastic bag and opened it up, watching as the teenager dropped the Guardian Force orbs within the confines of the sack. James sealed it tightly before placing it within his left breast pocket. "Once the questioning process is completed, we will return these to your possession if your innocence is assured."

As James turned his back towards the two and exited the room, Squall could sense Ward's disapproving glare, but ignored it, opting to stare up at the clock on the far side of the wall to his left.

* * *

**_08:20:12

* * *

_**

"They did WHAT!" Laguna shot up out of his seat, a shocked Ellone standing behind him.

The soldier who had been sent to report to the President shrunk back but managed to maintain his composure. "Sir, the General and the Representative of the Estharian Cabinet authorized the treatment of the prisoner in your absence. They believed that it would be the only way to assure that the prisoner would respond to our questioning tactics, which were going unanswered –"

"You idiot; I told Squall not to say anything until his representatives showed up!" Laguna shouted, without a care as to how it appeared to his staff. "It's standard protocol and even if I hadn't said anything, he probably would have reacted the same anyway!"

Kiros, who also appeared livid by the news, stepped forward. "It's common knowledge that an arrestee needs to be accompanied by representation; in this case, Garden. What gave the General the idea to resort to such tactics? Did he resist within the room? Did he do anything to prompt such an action?"

"He was refusing to answer any questions that were being asked of him." The soldier answered.

"That doesn't answer his question." Laguna said in a low even tone. "Did Squall resort to physical resistance once he was alone with the General?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, his posture turning into that of a child who had hit his little brother for stealing his favourite toy. Finally, he did answer. "No, sir."

Laguna's features stiffened further. "And did he physically force the General to resort to violence once the questioning," Laguna forced himself not to correct himself and call what had occurred an interrogation. "continued under these new tactics?"

"No sir." The soldier answered.

Laguna took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Never before had he ever been so angry in his entire life. "Then what, prey-tell, was the reason that opted this situation from occurring exactly? What made the General believe so heartedly that this was the only way to force the detainee to answer his questions?"

"The fact that the questioning wasn't going anywhere in the first place!" The soldier stated. "Sir, I was there, and he down right refused to even acknowledge that the General was even there! It was insulting."

"I don't care if it was gratifying!" Laguna shouted. "That doesn't excuse the fact that it was done!" Pressing the intercom button on his desk, he didn't even wait for the secretary on the opposite end of the door to respond. "Get Orally in here NOW! I've had enough with his insubordination!"

He received an acknowledgement on the opposite end and immediately cut the communication short.

* * *

As soon as the clock had struck eight a.m., the cabinet members had agreed to assemble an emergency meeting in regards to what had taken place earlier in the morning. Most had heard the story on their way to the building while others had been awoken by it through their alarm clock radios. But everyone agreed that the news was, in fact, disturbing; the fact that a man who they had hailed a hero when the world had been in peril merely four months prior could commit such a revolting act. No commentary had been given to the frantic reporters who wished to know the details of the story, but rumour had it that Squall Leonhart had been detained and brought in through Estharian custody. All agreed that something seemed wrong with this; why commit a crime and then surrender for it? 

"I say that it's due to the fact that he doesn't care." One of the cabinet members shouted in outrage. The man represented the south-eastern district of the city. "Everyone recalls how apathetic he was towards the victory of the Sorceress war, and further information obtained through the preparation of the United Confederation clearly proves that he is withdrawn and apathetic just about all of the time! That is proof in itself that he has the signs of being a sociopath."

"Maybe it's because he believes he has nothing to hide." Another representative, this one from the northern section of the capital, stated. "Maybe he believes that he didn't do it. Maybe he had a momentary lapse of insanity, committed the crime, and then returned to Deling City, and once returning to Galbadia, had no conscious knowledge of what he had done."

"That's a load of bull!" The representative of the north-western sector argued. "It was too calculated to have been just a whim. It was definitely pre-meditated. Your explanation doesn't make sense at all. I agree with what Caitiffs says! He's a sociopath! He's demonstrated sociopathic tendencies; such as self seclusion and reluctance to participate within a group info-structure unless it's towards his own benefit!"

"He must have been planning this for a while!" said the south-western representative. "But why these people? And were there more people he intended to kill?"

The room was suddenly filled with disarray; people shouting suggestion after suggestion and shutting down other people's theories. The only member of the room who remained calm throughout all of this was the man who sat at the head of the table. He represented the central of the capital and was also the director of the Cabinet. "Please, that's enough everyone." He stated, and within the span of a few moments, the noise level decreased until all were silent. "This news has got us all in jumbles. Of course this is a state of emergency and we have no choice but to bring about this meeting, but the fact of the matter is we need to look at this calmly. If he were, in fact, a sociopath, do you believe that he would have been allowed to become a SeeD at Garden?"

"Sociopaths know how to act the way people expect them to." A woman representing the north-western sector of the city spoke. "They can easily blend into society and be undetected for years. Garden would never have known he was a sociopath unless he had wanted them to."

"But aren't there tests that help to by-pass this?" a man from the western sector suggested. "Wouldn't this have helped to weed out the troublesome students?"

"He was already acknowledged as a troubled student." The southern representative stated. "Many of the Garden Faculty Members stated so in their numerous reports of him."

"But I still don't believe he's a sociopath." The northern sector representative argued. "If he were, then wouldn't he have stayed on as the Garden Commander? He would have wanted the power – the control – to be able to do as he pleased. The commander, even though they do reside within the Garden, is able to exemplify him or herself from the normal rules and regulations his or her subordinates must comply to."

"Bah!" the eastern representative waved off. "Christine, knock off that psychobabble! He probably stepped down so that once he conducted such an act, people like you who look out for such tendencies wouldn't think to suspect him for what he really is."

The woman, Christine, pushed her glasses forward. "Just because I'm a psychiatrist does not mean that what I have to say is psychobabble and I am offended by your statement, Harold. But the fact of the matter is that I don't believe him to be a sociopath. True, he displays a lot of the symptoms, but not the more important ones. If anything, I believe that he has a personality disorder, brought on by some sort of traumatic occurrence in his life."

"Then you agree that he shouldn't be a part of SeeD." The western representative stated. "That's all my point was; that someone who is so obviously troubled should not have been trained to be able to conduct missions that could possibly resort to the death of others. If anything, this whole situation is clearly Garden's responsibility."

"And besides;" the south-eastern representative added. "If he isn't a sociopath, and merely has a personality disorder, what exactly would you say drove him to commit such a crime."

Christine took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Honestly, I have no idea. Most people have no idea why people who are so troubled do the things they do. It's sort of like an escape for them. In some cases, they believe that a higher being told them to commit such acts."

"So you're saying that he thinks Hyne told him to come here and kill those people?" The southern representative asked.

"That's not what I'm saying at all. It's just an example." Christine defended. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly before speaking again. "And I'm not excusing the behaviour. But I believe that the best thing to do at this current time would be to figure out the reason why he would commit such an act before doing anything else."

"Christine, now is not the time to be patient with him!" Harold shouted. "Now is the time to lock him up and throw away the key! He did the crime, so he should do the time for it too!"

Once again, the room sprang to life; some people arguing the validness of Christine's suggestion, while others overruled it in favour of Harold's solution. Once again, the sound of something slamming atop something sounded over the loud voices and the director took center stage once more. "Ladies, Gentlemen…I'd say that that was enough. We're not children, so we shouldn't be bickering about like this. There is a way to resolve this dispute and appease each side at the same time, you know."

The room fell silent as the cabinet members all began to mull over the director's words. It was broken once the director began to speak again. "One side says he committed the crime intentionally, another states that it occurred while his judgement was elsewhere. Finally, the man accused of the crime argues vehemently that he did not commit the crime under any circumstance, or so we'll assume… So what would prove without a doubt which side was correct?"

Christine turned her gaze upon the director. "Are you suggesting that we have a trial?"

The director nodded. "Exactly."

In response, Christine shook her head. "I doubt the President would sanction it. He wouldn't want any media coverage whatsoever, and almost everyone in Esthar knows what happened this morning already, after all."

"Yes, but they have no idea that the Estharians brought the suspect here." The southern representative jumped in. "It'd be easy to hide that fact from the public…at least for the time being."

"But wouldn't we have to involve more people, such as lawyers and a judge?" the western representative argued. "What if someone leaks this information to the press? The President will not be happy with that."

"He's not happy about this whole thing in general." The north-eastern representative snorted. "After all, his son's the one who'll be standing trial."

"Alright, I understand everyone's point of view on this, but do we really have a choice in the matter?" the director asked. "Besides, we can't have him prosecuted without a trail. It's against Estharian Law. Are we no better than the dictators of our past?"

Everyone at the table shuddered in response to the Director's question. Each of them remembered the time where Adel was leading the country with her communist beliefs. Those who were guilty of crimes committed under the order of the Sorceress were rewarded with pensions while those who were innocent were forced to confess, using torture and mind altering tactics in Adel's favour. Most were killed before they could recant their fevered confessions, and in the cases that they survived, the damage had already been done. Those under her rule were so afraid that they agreed with the accusations as their way of protecting themselves.

"Even if we were to be apposed to the idea of a trial, it would still happen, regardless of what we think." The Director explained. "We don't have the power to suppress his rights, even though he isn't native to Esthar. He allegedly committed a crime in our country, and thus must be tried according to our laws."

"Even still, a trial would be pointless." The south-eastern representative argued. "Everyone in Esthar, save a few people, have been convinced he's the murderer. We would never find an impartial jury to foresee the testimony. Fisherman's Horizon is also still tied to Esthar, despite the fact that they emancipated themselves from us, so we can't hold it there."

"How do we know that he'll want a trial by jury?" the eastern representative asked.

"It's common knowledge that it's easier to convince a group of twelve unbiased people of your innocence," the north-western representative explained. "than it is to convince a long-time judge. And even if he does request a trial by judge, we still wouldn't be able to hold it in Esthar."

"That means Balamb is out of the question as well." Harold pointed out. "He'd walk if it was held there."

"Galbadia is also not acceptable." Christine said. "He has far too many connections there. For one, he's romantically involved with the Galbadian President's daughter. Another point is regarding the invasion of the Galbadian Capital that took place earlier this morning. We've burned our bridge in regards to their co-operation with that action."

"And any location that houses a Garden is also intolerable." The Director pointed out. "So our only choices reside within Timber and Dollet. Timber is still in the process of deciding its own government; the elections of their governor will take place sometime next week. That leaves Dollet as the only possible location."

"So we hold it in Dollet then." The south-western representative stated. "Then someone needs to contact the Arch Duke and alert him on the situation and our need of the town's co-operation."

"But there's still the subject of when the trial will be held." The eastern representative added. "Do we push the trial ahead or wait for the other cases to be sorted through?"

"Of course we push it ahead!" The north-western representative stated. "What kind of an idiot wouldn't push ahead something as serious as this!"

"But we have to ensure that the prosecution and defence have enough time to properly gather the evidence, interview, and prepare themselves for this trial." The Director explained. "This trial is going to be watched by everyone in the world, and if one thing is done wrong, we could lose by default. I'm not saying that he is guilty, but I'm not saying he is innocent either. I vote that the trial takes place in Dollet after a month's time. I'd say that is adequate for preparation. All in favour of this suggestion say Aye."

Everyone within the room said the before mentioned word nearly in the exact same time frame. Some people were faster than others when they spoke.

"Alright then. All that is left to do is decide the time the trail takes place. We can discuss the issue with the Dollet officials when we speak to them about the proceedings."

"May I make a request before the preparations have been completed?" Christine asked. "I would like the interview the suspect; get a feel for him if you will."

"I object!" Harold shouted. "That would lead to a biased opinion! And besides, she's a representative; we have to remain neutral at all costs!"

"What exactly is so biased about it, Harold?" Christine argued. "As of recently, we've heard the opinion of the Estharian General, as well as the opinion of the reporters on the news who are pinning the crime on him." Turning back to the director, she continued. "And I would not be speaking to him as a representative; but as my profession. I would like to see all sides of the story before I pass judgement, and possibly help this case out."

The director seemed to mull the request over for a moment before speaking. "You do realize, Christine, that if you proceed with this action, you will also be asked to testify in court."

"I completely understand and respect the decision." Christine said, nodding.

"Then I don't see why she can't interview him." The director said before turning to Harold. "Unless, of course, you can find another suitable argument as to why she shouldn't be allowed."

Harold frowned deeply, but shook his head in response.

"Then it's settled. I want at least three of the Estharian soldiers there in case he tries to escape. He'll be in restrained custody until the trial any way."

Christine nodded in agreement. "I don't see why not, as long as they don't jeopardize my visit."

"Then I'd say this meeting is adjourned." The director said. "We'll hold another meeting in regards to Christine's report of her findings."

The room immediately began to clear as the occupants began to head back to their respective offices. Harold was the last to leave the room, pulling out his cell phone before dialing a number. "We have another problem…" he said before the door closed behind him.

* * *

**_08:48:21

* * *

_**

The Ragnarok touched down on the continent of Balamb, just a quick two minute walk away from the Garden residing east of the town. Three of the occupants remained within the former Estharian airship while the others returned to the Garden in order to gather the remaining members that would form the representative team before heading out to Esthar. Rinoa, Irvine and Cid had all joined Zell and Quistis as they made their way back towards the airship, where Selphie, Nida and Edea all awaited them.

That had been approximately ten minutes prior. Currently, they were all sitting within the confines of the cockpit, where Selphie was piloting the ship. Nida was co-piloting. It was a known fact that Selphie had a soft spot when it came to the dragon like machine, and had even taken to calling it her baby.

But now, as they headed towards the massive city located within the heart of the country of Esthar, their thoughts had turned towards something far more serious. Irvine wasn't even attempting to flirt with any of the girls, nor was Selphie acting in her normally energetic nature. Zell was even resisting the urge to shadow-box in the corner of the room, a habit he had taken up to pass the time when he was either bored, stressed or annoyed. Edea sat in one of the chairs at the back of the room, her hands folded into each other as she stared out at the ocean passing beneath them while Cid sat close by, keeping an eye on his wife of forty years. Quistis would occasionally keep tabs on both of them, but kept her mind solely on its task.

"What're we going to do?" Selphie asked from behind the controls, breaking the tense silence that had fallen upon them. "The Estharians won't take Zell or my testimony seriously. They'll think we were lying without some form of proof."

"But that's really all we have to work with." Zell said. "They probably will think we're lying, but they can't deny our testimony, can they?"

"Wasn't that my question?"

Just as Cid was about to say something, the red light at the front of the ship blinked on, signifying that someone was trying to reach the ships occupants. As soon as a visual link was provided, everyone, excluding the pilot of course, was fixed with President Caraway's visage staring back at them. "How much longer will it take your team to arrive in Esthar?" Caraway asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"Within the next thirty to forty-five minutes." Cid answered. "It shouldn't be too much longer now."

"I think I might be able to help, despite the chaos ensuing over on this end." Caraway said and immediately all eyes fell upon him. Selphie had to take a moment to recall that she was the one piloting before setting the aircraft to autopilot and sitting forward.

"Just ten minutes ago, I received a message from Esthar subpoenaing the security tapes that recorded anything to do with the Galbadian Presidential Residence from 3 am to four pm Galbadian time, as evidence for something."

"But they would only need to subpoena that kind of information if they were holding a trial." Quistis pointed out. "It would act as proof of Squall's whereabouts during the time of the murder."

"Which answers your question, Sefie." Irvine said turning his attention towards the brunette, who nodded in response.

"So that mean's Squall's got a fighting chance!" Zell shouted. "Once they take a look at those tapes, then he's gonna be cleared of those bogus allegations and then we can start looking for the real killer."

"Not only that, but we can also begin figuring out why the crime was committed in the first place." Cid agreed.

Rinoa clapped her hands together and nodded to herself in affirmation. Quistis couldn't blame her in the slightest; everyone was happy that something was finally going in their direction since this whole thing had begun. Checking her watch, Quistis took notice that it was after midnight in Balamb. She immediately pressed a button located on the side of her watch and it immediately changed to read Estharian time; nearly eight in the morning. The former instructor had spent many long hours working in her dorm, mostly marking term papers when she had been in possession of her instructor's license, so she was used to running on very little sleep. Looking around her, she could tell the others were far too alert to take a nap of some sort (as was she, mind you), since their friend was in trouble. Folding her arms across her chest, she immediately brought herself out of her thoughts and began to listen to the rest of the conversation.

"So when we get there, do you think we'll be able to see him?" Rinoa asked tentatively.

"Hopefully." Irvine said. "Don't think they'd be cruel enough to deny him the right to meet up with his girlfriend, let alone the rest of us."

"Besides," Selphie said, once she had re-established control of the ship. "Sir Laguna would probably let us see him."

"You must all keep in mind that Laguna is still the President of Esthar." Edea stated grimly. "Which means he must act according to protocol, even if it is his son standing trial. It does not seem fair, but it is life, and we must not judge him poorly just because he is following procedure."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the ship once again fell into an uncomfortable silence.

* * *

Harold returned to his office, having already hung up his cellular phone and slumped back into his desk. He had alerted his contacts to the dire circumstances of the situation and had been assured that things would be all right, but he was still unnerved by the entire thing. The murders had been done outside of the plan; since they were planning on remaining secret for the time being, until they had received the desired information they would need to know about their target. Sure, they knew substantially enough already, but that didn't make him feel any more secure. 

Still, orders were orders. He had been selected for his job for a reason, and it was a job he intended to get done. Sitting at his desk, he mulled over the possibility that Leonhart actually went to trial and the tapes that would, undoubtedly, be sent from Galbadia for the trial, would be used to clear his name. The entire addition to the plan would be ruined and would probably lead back to his superiors and then back to himself. He had made a promise that he would oversee the plan went on as originally planned, and he was going to live up to his word.

He knew that the director had someone in mind to play the role of prosecutor and figured that getting the lawyer axed was out of the question. But his eyes lit up as soon as he caught an idea that had been preparing to leave the confines of his mind. Grabbing hold of it and keeping his grip on it as tightly as he could, he grabbed his cellular and began to dial another number, the strange little device having been placed on it once more. He waited a moment before someone on the opposite end picked up. "It's me…I just thought of a way to get rid of the problem…"

* * *

**The Time is now 9 a.m.

* * *

**


	8. 8th Hour

**Author's Note**: Because of FFnet's new rule concerning replies to reviews, I am no longer able to post shout outs in my stories. However, when you do review, I will be more than happy to respond through this new system, just so long as you are a signed member of FFnet. :D Enjoy the chapter (even though it's so late).

* * *

**The Following takes place between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

* * *

**

He had an odd feeling that things were about to go from bad to worse.

The area just outside of the room he had been stationed in was swarming with people, when just under an hour ago, there had only been security detail. It wasn't very difficult to deduce that the sudden activity level had something to do with him.

Checking the clock once again, the SeeD frowned. After the chief of security had left the room with his junctions, Squall and Ward had been left relatively alone by the rest of the staff, until a soldier had come down and requested the whereabouts of the Estharian General. Ward had left the room without saying a word, but Squall didn't need to be told to know that his suspicions had been correct; the General of the Estharian army had acted without the authority of the President and now he was being summoned by him to receive punishment.

Squall wasn't bitter. In fact, had he been in the General's position, he might have considered doing the same thing, whatever the consequences might have been. He understood the General's position on the matter; that the son of the president had supposedly committed a crime and that he must be made to pay despite his identity.

He had never wanted the added attention. All he had ever strove to be in life was a SeeD; it didn't matter to him what rank he achieved, just as long as he completed his missions thoroughly and effectively. The next thing he knew, he was being handed control of the Gardens by a man he had respected, and then recruited to lead the charge against the Sorceress from the future. Ever since, no one had been willing to leave him out of the spotlight, and it was infuriating.

The fact that he was the son of the man who ended the previous war didn't help matters.

As usual, Hyne managed to spit in his face regarding what he wanted done with his life.

Resting his head atop of his folded arms on the table before him, he turned his head to the position of the clock, always keeping an eye on the time. He wondered how long it would be until the questioning process got back on track, and how long it would take for Garden's representatives to arrive. Both questions went hand in hand, considering he knew the Estharian's wouldn't allow for another incident to take place as it did over an hour ago.

It was now five minutes after nine am, Esthar time, which would mean that it was around eight pm in Galbadia, and a little after 2 in the morning in Balamb. He had been up since six in the morning, Galbadia time, and would probably still be awake into the later hours of the night, that is unless something favourable happens before then.

Given his track record on luck, Squall wasn't holding his breath.

He wondered how Selphie and Zell were holding up. Between his two comrades, Selphie had been the only one on the other line with him, and so she would have sent the message to his other comrade. He hoped they weren't too mad at him. It was the only way he could think of that would avert a war from breaking out between Esthar and Garden, but as Kiros had so graciously informed him, Galbadia wasn't too thrilled over being invaded. He hoped President Caraway would be able to keep this mess from spreading further if only until he was cleared.

Raising his head, and running both hands through his messy hair, he mentally berated himself. No matter how much he tried not to, he always seemed to wonder how he looked in other peoples eyes, as if it would make a difference what they thought about him. For as long as he could remember, he hated doing it, but he could never break himself of such a habit for too long. And when it came down to it, worrying caused him to think, and he never did like thinking about something too much. Overanalyzing could be considered a strength, but in most situations it usually turned out for the worse.

The Garden war was a great example; Squall having believed the Galbadians would infiltrate the Garden and as a result, had focused the majority of his men into defensive positions, leaving the small number of attacking SeeDs to fend for themselves. This had been the reason behind so many fatalities during the battle, and Squall would never forgive himself for it.

_And here I am, thinking again…_ Squall thought to himself as he shook his head.

Before he could mentally berate himself any further, he heard the door to the room open and close. Turning around to see who it was, he noted James Logans, still dressed in black and wearing the sunglasses over his eyes, was standing in front of the door, his arms folded across his chest. He also noted that he was being flanked by three Estharian soldiers.

Eyeing them wearily, Squall rose to his feet, but couldn't get any further than that due to the handcuffs keeping him attached to the desk. Whatever they were planning to do this time, he wasn't going to be able to stop them very effectively. However, no one moved for a moment, until James turned to one of his men and nodded. The soldier moved from behind him, heading towards the youth.

"Squall Leonhart," James started, never moving from his position. "Under the authority of the Estharian Government, you are hereby under arrest."

"I thought we'd already gone through this." Squall stated as the soldier freed him from the desk and forced his left arm behind his back.

"You have the right to remain silent." James continued as the soldier pinned Squall's right arm behind his back. "Anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law."

"Court?" Squall questioned, despite his better judgement. "You mean a trial? Already?"

"You have a right to an attorney, and if you do not have one, one will be provided to you by the people's courts."

"Answer my damn questions." Squall stated flatly, the handcuffs snapping into place behind him.

James sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "The Estharian Cabinet has decided that in a month's time you will stand trial under the charge of murder in the first degree."

"How can there be a trial if you don't have a statement?"

"The Cabinet thought it would be better if the questioning process was skipped to prevent further incident." James explained. "There will be someone to see you, however, to obtain your statement."

"Was the President involved with this decision?" Squall asked. "Or does he even know?"

"No, your father doesn't know." James stated.

"You went around the President with something this important?"

"The cabinet members thought it would be better if he was not involved with the decision process. He will be informed on the change of the situation, however. He may be the President, but he also has a personal role in this predicament and in such cases, the Cabinet has the power to overrule his own judgement."

Squall frowned. "So you give him power, but not absolute power."

"Exactly." James nodded. "I would advise against resisting arrest at this point in time, though. For your own safety, you will be placed in a holding cell until the final preparations for the trial have taken place, at which point you will be transferred to Dollet for the remainder of the wait."

_That's right…_ Squall thought to himself. _Esthar is too biased, so they wouldn't be able to hold a trial here. And they certainly wouldn't hold it in Balamb. Galbadia is out of the question since Esthar invaded it already and Timber's only just beginning to create their own government. It would have to be held in Dollet._

"I also have to warn you that anything you do between this point and the time of the trial will be watched closely by ourselves and in retrospect, the Dollet authorities as well. If you resist against this arrest, it will look poorly on you in a court of law."

"In other words, I have no choice." Squall confirmed and James nodded. "Fine. I won't resist."

James nodded in response and one of the soldiers still stationed behind him opened the only exit to the room.

* * *

The sun sat up in the sky, having not yet risen to its peak, and as a result illuminated the office where a man stood in front of his desk, seemingly staring out into space. This man was tired; having not had any sleep the previous night due to the current circumstances, and was slowly losing whatever patience he had remaining.

The man standing opposite of him was positioned in a respectable salute; dressed in the standard Estharian uniform rather than his normal form of military dress reserved for out of combat military affairs. He had military cut dark grey hair and a graying beard forming beneath his lower lip, and stern brown eyes. His features told of his age and experience, and yet he didn't appear as old as to be nearing retirement any time soon. If anything, he looked to be around the age of sixty or less.

Laguna took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm his boiling temper. It had been a long night, and it looked as though it was going to be an even longer day. No amount of coffee was going to change that fact.

The General dropped the salute and waited at attention for his superior to speak to him. Laguna went to open his mouth in order to say something, but closed it as he dismissed the phrasing, beginning to mull over what it was he wanted to say before opening his mouth once again, forming a cycle. Finally after figuring out just what he wanted to say, he nodded to himself before clearing his throat and speaking. "So…" Laguna started. "You recruited a squad of your men, traveled to the capital of Galbadia, without any form of permission from the Galbadian President and thus nearly eliciting a war in response to those actions, kidnapped a man on assignment and nearly blowing his own people's cover in the process, brought him back here for questioning despite not having had any grounds or orders towards that response, and when he refused to comply to your questioning methods, even though it was under my own advisement, you attacked him."

Laguna could sense his temper getting the better of him, so he took a moment to breathe deeply before speaking once more. "Did Adel suddenly take control of Esthar while I was sorting through documentation?"

Before the General could speak in his defence, Laguna cut him off. "This blatant disregard towards my orders, as well as the safety of the civilians within this city is something that I cannot condone. And before you say anything, you did endanger the lives of the people you have been sworn to protect due to your actions. You're lucky that the Galbadians haven't decided to retaliate as of now. I understand how the situation looks, but we do not treat even our worst criminals the way he was treated. Not only have you ignored my orders within the last eight hours several times, but now you have built a case against yourself, as well as our governmental officials who have become involved. If he chooses to press charges, then this will more than likely topple our government."

Taking a seat behind his desk, he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "What do you have to say in your defence?"

"Sir, with all due respect," The general said at last. "As soon as we received word of who was sighted on our grounds moments before the murders took place, your whole domineer changed. You went from 'we have to find and persecute the killer' to 'we have to wait until the evidence comes back' in the time that it takes to flip a light switch. I believed that your personal involvement in this case would jeopardize the way things proceeded, despite your best intentions, which is why I took a squad out to apprehend the suspect myself. I know it was a breach of protocol, but in all honesty, I believed that it was the only choice we had at that time."

Laguna stayed silent as the General continued with his explanation. "At the time of the questioning process, I had not been made aware that the suspect's parental figure had given him legal advice to not speak unless his representatives of Garden arrived. All I believed was that he was stalling for time, which was why I lost my temper. In any other situation, I would not have lost my judgement."

"First of all," Laguna interjected, as soon as the general was finished speaking. "I want this killer found and prosecuted to the highest form of the law. That does not, however, change the fact that there are procedures in place to protect those that we suspect. It is innocence until proven guilt, Orally, not the opposite."

"Understood sir." The General nodded.

"I want the person who did this found, and tried. But I also want the evidence found and looked at before we do anything. That is what is called Democracy. Even if that evidence comes back, and it is my son who is responsible for committing the crime, then at least the procedures had been followed with due diligence, and there is no room for error."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Laguna continued. "Moving along, the person who is being held is a minor, by our laws, and a minor's rights state that he or she must be questioned with the Parent or Guardian present. Anyone within our country is to be questioned with an attorney present, if they so wish. Because both of these regulations were disregarded, any and all information you received during your 'interrogation', has been disregarded as well."

Leaning forward in his seat, Laguna clasped his hands together. "I have a question for you, Orally. The killer entered the residence and committed the crime between two and three in the morning. Your men located the suspect in Deling City at around five in the morning, Esthar time, and apprehended him around an hour later, and the flight to Esthar took another hour. No Esthar airships left for Galbadia in-between that time, save your ships, so the suspect's only mode of transportation out of Esthar and into Deling would have been the Horizon Bridge, which takes approximately seven hours to reach Timber, and another seven to reach Deling from there. Technically, it would have been very unlikely that he could have committed the crime and escaped to Deling before your men could have gathered together and arrived. I'm not saying it is impossible; only unlikely. It's just a thought, however.

"Furthermore, upon waiting for your appearance to my office," Laguna continued. "I managed to read through your file; not all of it, just the more important aspects of it. The records indicate that you are involved in a very similar case. Now, why didn't you mention this before?"

Orally closed his eyes for a moment before taking in a deep breath and opening them. "Sir, the case you are speaking of took place a while ago; back when Adel was in power."

"I'm aware of the circumstances. What I would like to know is what happened. Off the record."

A moment of silence passed between both men before Orally chose to speak. "A boy, roughly around the age of eight, was found in the parking lot of a building just before opening hours. When officials and paramedics arrived at the scene, they declared that he had been killed the previous night. Just as it was being investigated, it was suddenly placed in a pile of files never to be looked through again, all because the suspect was a high standing official, who worked closely to the dictator of that time, Adel.

"'The evidence was unfounded,' they had explained. 'It had been contaminated during the initial finding, and thus everything would have to come into question once again.' Only, it never did. The case was left unsolved, and person who committed the act was allowed to get away, all because of his connections."

Laguna nodded, more to himself than to anything else. "I completely understand your position and your concerns on the matter. All I want is for this case to be solved, and for whoever committed the crime to atone for his actions. But that still doesn't explain your behaviour regarding the circumstances."

The General nodded once again, and averted his gaze to the floor, taking in a shuttering breath before raising them to meet Laguna's. "The boy that was found…he was my son. And knowing that the man who killed him was going to walk away a free man because of who he was tore me up inside. Knowing that something like that would happen again was just a reminder of what happened. I didn't want anything like that to happen again."

"I'm sorry for your loss…" Laguna said awkwardly after a moment. "But I can assure you that a situation like that won't happen again. If my son is, in fact, guilty, I won't stand in the way of the prosecution. I just want to have all the facts before anything is decided. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, both off and on the record, it seems that your judgement has been swayed on the matter, and I have no choice but to suspend you of all activities involving this case until further notice."

Orally nodded. "I understand sir."

"Then you are dismissed." Laguna nodded back. "I hope we get to meet once again under better circumstances."

"You would not be alone in that, sir." The General of Esthar saluted the man who stood before him before returning his arm to his side and turning towards the door, leaving not a soldier, but a civilian.

* * *

_**09:32:06

* * *

**_

Immediately upon seeing the sky scrapers that symbolized Esthar City ahead, Ragnarok had achieved communication with the Airstation, letting the officials know that they were nearly there and to alert the President of their arrival.

Currently, the former flagship of the technologically advanced civilization had finished its docking preparations, and had fully executed its return to its native soil. During the Ultimecia War, SeeD had discovered the abandoned ship in space, and upon using it to return to the planet, the Estharians had confirmed that the ship was free for the taking; having been twenty years out of date. Garden had graciously accepted it as an asset to use on the little missions they would have before their career change was in effect.

The occupants of the ship, save for Nida, who was staying behind in order to make sure Ragnarok was ready upon its occupants need to leave the city under any circumstances, were being escorted towards the Presidential Residence. Upon entering the building, the entire group could sense the difference in the atmosphere; something had happened that they were unaware of and they wanted to know just what it was. Finally, they managed to dissuade themselves of the working members of the city and were being escorted to the Presidential office, a place the five teenagers had been when they were briefed on the mission to defeat Ultimecia.

Upon reaching the office, the escort excused himself from the group, and entered the room, possibly informing the President of his guests. Cid turned to face the rest of the group. "I will be going in to speak to the President personally. I want all of you, as my escorts, to remain out here, just in case something happens."

"I will also be accompanying him when speaking to President Loire." Edea explained. "I too, wish for some answers, and I somehow believe that he is the only one who will be cooperative enough to give them."

Upon seeing the objections crossing the youth's faces, Edea held up a hand to silence them. "Perhaps some of you would like to visit with Squall before the questioning process takes place. I know that you are all very worried about him."

Quistis and Zell both exchanged glances with Irvine and Rinoa, while Selphie looked to each of the others who stood with her. It did seem like a good suggestion, and perhaps Squall could explain to them just what had happened. Finally, Quistis nodded in agreement with the plan. "It sounds like a good idea, Matron."

After a moment, the escort exited the room they stood in front before nodding to them, a gesture which symbolized that the President would be willing to see them. Cid and Edea nodded back before entering the room, the escort closing the door behind them, seeing as the group of teenagers standing before him had made no gesture to move. "Now if there is anything more that I can do, I would be more than happy to comply."

"We'd like to see Squall." Quistis stated almost immediately, and the smile on the escort's face fell.

"I'm sorry, but due to the circumstances, I don't believe that the officials will allow you to visit with the prisoner."

"Prisoner!" Zell snapped. "He came here willingly, how does that make him a prisoner!"

"He is still being detained under the charge of murder." The escort explained. "So I'm afraid that it is impossible for him to be seen at this point of time."

"But what about prisoner visitation?" Selphie asked. "I mean, don't you normally give people the right to visit with their family and friends when they're in custody?"

"Due to an incident which occurred a little while ago, I would say that it is within the detainee's best interest to not receive any visitors at this point."

"Incident?" Rinoa exclaimed, stepping in front of the others. "What happened?"

"I am not at liberty to tell you."

"I don't care if you're at liberty to dance around and sing the national anthem! I want to know what happened." Rinoa stated back. Everyone save Zell nodded back in agreement, who just scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Esthar has a national anthem?" he asked.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "It is a nation, isn't it?" She muttered something under her breath, but no one caught it as they stared at the escort, waiting for their answer.

Before the escort could say anything in response, however, an Estharian soldier ran towards the group, trying to push past them to get to the Presidential office. Upon failing to do so, he sighed in exasperation. "Can you move? I have to speak to the President immediately."

"What's going on?" Selphie asked.

Before the man could answer, Quistis fixed him with a glare. "Don't you dare tell us that you're not at liberty to tell us; we're representatives of Balamb Garden, and thus we have a right to know." Her glare was not only directed towards the poor soldier, but towards the escort as well.

The soldier sighed in exasperation once again before standing at attention, as if delivering a report. "Because of the preparations for the upcoming trial, the prisoner has been moved to a holding cell until the preparations have been completed."

"Who authorized this?" Quistis asked. "If you're delivering this message to the President, then that means he didn't make this decision."

"You're right, ma'am." The soldier nodded. "It was the Cabinet of Esthar's decision. They felt it best to act without the President's impute, given the circumstance."

"Given the circumstance…" Rinoa muttered. "That's all I'm hearing, and I'm getting sick of it. I want to see Squall, and I want to see him now!"

"I'm afraid that's just not possible." The soldier argued. "He's being moved as we speak, since the questioning process didn't go so well…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute…" Irvine interjected, who had, up until that point, remained silent. "What do you mean 'questioning'? That was supposed to wait until we arrived, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir." The soldier agreed. "But since the General and the Cabinet wanted to receive the answers they needed, they proceeded anyway. During the questioning, the General lost his temper and attacked the prisoner."

"Is he okay?" Rinoa asked, anger being replaced with concern.

"I'm more concerned with the possibility that Squall fought back." Quistis stated.

"Yes, he's alright. All the prisoner received in the scuffle was a split lip." The soldier answered. "As for the second concern, no he didn't fight back. Either he didn't want to, or he didn't have a chance since one of the Presidential Aids stepped in and broke it up. After that, visitation rights were suspended and only the security detail or the President had access to seeing him. Then the decision to set up plans for the trial came up and we were forced to place him in a holding cell until the preparations are complete."

"Sir Laguna's gonna be furious." Selphie muttered. "What do you think he'll do when he finds out?"

"Blow his top, I'm thinking." Zell shrugged. "His government's making decisions without him; I'd be pretty pissed too."

"Still, he has to contain a presence of composure." Quistis pointed out. "He's in a political position; he can't allow his emotions to get the better of him. He needs to keep a level head.

"Laguna needs to be told about this." Irvine said. "Whether or not he's gonna like it doesn't matter. It's either he finds out now and tries to figure out some way to get around the decision, or he finds out later and can't do a damned thing about it."

"He can't do anything anyway." Quistis argued. "If he does, then they'll accuse him of putting his parental values over his better judgement and he may end up being sworn out of office. We can't afford that now; especially not with the situation in Galbadia. But Irvine is right; he does have to know. But I think it would be better if it came from one of us rather than someone that could report it to another official in the long run."

* * *

Edea, Cid and Laguna's conversation had been cut short when he had been paged by the President's second in command of security detail, wanting to immediately speak to him. Laguna had patched her through, allowing Cid and Edea to stay and hear what the woman had to say.

"Sir, I'm afraid I have some very bad news." Deila stated solemnly. "The Cabinet has taken this opportunity to proceed further with this investigation. They've set up a trial date and ordered that the prisoner be detained within a holding cell until the final preparations have been completed."

"The Cabinet ordered this?" Laguna asked. "Under what authority? And why wasn't I informed?"

"Sir, the Cabinet thought that your emotional ties with the prisoner would prove to cloud your judgement and chose this time to exact their power over the situation." Deila responded. "I'm afraid that there isn't much else we can do besides abide by the decision."

"That's ludicrous!" Cid stated, taking the words right from Laguna's mouth. "They should have at least warned their President of what they were doing. "

"I want Squall to be released from the holding cell, immediately." Laguna said. "I will talk to the cabinet myself on the situation. I don't want to be left out of any decisions being made concerning this case."

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir." Deila stated.

"Why not?" Laguna asked.

"First of all, the Cabinet overruled your authority before they began their meeting. And secondly, the prisoner cooperated with the order and is currently being escorted to the holding cells bay by James and three of our soldiers as we speak."

"I wish to speak to him." Edea said. "He did not have his representatives present at that given time, and your men had no right to go to him with the decision before we arrived."

"It's standard protocol." Deila explained. "Once a trial date has been set, the prisoner has to be detained during the wait. The reason why the decision was given to him was because the Cabinet wishes to get this whole mess sorted through. They believe that due to the evidence our specialists have looked over, he is the man responsible for those murders and they wish to move quickly in dealing with it. The families who suffered during this ordeal need condolence and the Cabinet believes this can be done with a conviction."

"Guilty until proven innocent." Cid muttered. "They're not even giving him a chance to defend himself."

"Let us talk to him." Edea asked again. "As his representatives, we should be given the right to speak to him."

"Due to circumstances out of our control, I'm afraid I can't authorize that." Deila said. "And I'm afraid that it is non-negotiable. The Cabinet has made it very clear that he is to go immediately to lock up without any interruption. Reporting to my superior is the only thing I can do at the moment outside of orders."

"It's alright, Deila." Laguna said, frowning. "You're just following protocol. But the fact of the matter is the Cabinet has broken five of our regulations already. They can all end up being held in contempt and serve prison time for this. Denying council, denying parental observation, holding him without feasible evidence, denying the presence of his representatives from Garden, and setting a trial date without informing the defence and putting him in lock up without a bail hearing. There're probably a whole lot more, but I can't think of them all off the top of my head."

Balling his hands into fists, his frown deepened. "I know I can't do anything now without implicating myself as being biased, but as soon as this whole thing is over with, I will be holding each and every one of them in contempt. They don't want a speedy finish to this crime; they want a scapegoat. They haven't even allowed Galbadia's evidence to arrive yet. It's exactly as you said, Cid; guilty until proven innocent. This is disgusting; it's as if Adel's been put back into power."

Laguna disconnected the contact with his security officer and patching through to his secretary. "Establish contact with the Presidential Residence in Deling City." As soon as he got a reply from the woman on the other end, he disestablished the contact.

"We contacted President Caraway on the way here after leaving Balamb." Cid explained. "He mentioned something about the tapes being subpoenaed to the Estharian government. This might have something to do with it."

"I just hope we get our hands on those tapes soon." Laguna muttered.

* * *

He watched the production unfold before his eyes and grinned in feral anticipation. So far, his plot was folding in rather nicely. The country heads were distracted with the proceedings of the murders and, more importantly, Esthar's government was falling apart.

True, the murders that took place earlier were not originally according to the plan, and the organization was actually planning on staying hidden for a bit longer, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good of humanity. No matter how much he wanted to, the President of Galbadia wasn't going to be able to keep his army at bay for that much longer, and with Esthar up in arms already, he was willing to bet money that the technologically advanced city would not stand for very long against the unplanned assault.

He also knew that Garden wouldn't be able to keep the vital information as to what was happening to their hero a secret for long. After all, from the reports he received from the spies he had placed in position of the Garden, they valued the man being accused of murder higher than they did their current commander, and when that information leaked out, SeeD was going to want to act against the Estharians as well. With two of the most power military groups attacking the third from different sides, Esthar wouldn't last too long on its own.

He particularly enjoyed watching the President of Esthar squirm, knowing that his son was within the custody of his own men and being able to do nothing about it without implicating himself. Politics were such a harsh thing to contend with, and if the media found any reason to portray him as someone who couldn't care less about the working man, the Average Joes in Esthar, well then, that could pose a very big problem.

He couldn't help but admire that all of this chaos was taking place because one individual was being accused of murder.

He found it interesting that so many people took an interest in this SeeD in particular. Sure, he led the charge to defeat the Sorceress of the Future, but he also led Garden against the Galbadian soldiers when they too were being commanded by Hyne's Descendant. The action demanded respect, and he was very certain that the teen was receiving his fair share of it.

But after observing his actions for the time after the end of the war, he came to realize that Squall Leonhart would rather shy away from the public eye. It interested him that someone with so much accomplished with his life would rather live without being a spectacle.

_So sad that people don't get everything they wish for…_ he thought to himself. If life had been fair, than the good guys would never suffer the way they did, and if life were fair, the bad guys would get caught right away with the crimes they had committed. But life was not fair. Instead, it was morbidly unfair; to the point where many people in the world fear facing it on a daily basis.

He contemplated the possibility of something slipping; of something in the plan going horribly wrong to the point where everything around it would crumble. That would, in turn, implicate his own men, his own spies, his own organization, and, also, himself. Each piece had to be placed in a strategic order, like a computer engineer programming a computer to do its bidding. If one piece of data was imputed incorrectly, then the computer would fail to work. This had nearly happened when Leonhart had surrendered to the Estharians so quickly. He had had to make arrangements for the plan to progress further, and so far it seemed as everything was working beautifully.

The trial would be held in Dollet, which was unbiased enough that it would be a fair one, but as long as he was scheming, he vowed to make sure that there was no trial. One of his men had been given the task to see to it that the trial would not take place, and he was merely waiting for the plot to present itself. His official had assured him that he would not fail, and he was counting on him to keep his word. If a trial did take place, then the frame up would not hold up as well as it was currently, and then more questions would begin to prop up. No, he couldn't allow that to happen.

Sitting back and waiting for assurance that the plan was proceeding as well as it should be, he clasped his hands together and simply watched.

* * *

_**09:46:34

* * *

**_

Cid emerged from the Presidential office and found himself standing in the center of the group of teenagers who had accompanied him to Esthar. Judging by the expressions on their faces, Cid could tell that they had heard about what had taken place. Laguna himself had explained what happened during the 'interrogation', and he and Edea had not been too impressed. Fortunately, the General had been suspended, but that was of little condolence compared to what had taken place.

Cid admired Squall for not folding under the pressure and fighting back. It would have made things far worse than they already were. But he couldn't help but worry about what was to come now that he had been arrested. Of course, the authorities would make sure that a repeat of what took place did not happen, but knowing most of the citizens and worker's position on what took place early in the morning in Esthar, he wasn't so sure that he was entire safe.

Instead of voicing his concerns to the SeeDs and civilians who stood in front of him, he offered them a reassuring smile. "President Loire is doing everything in his power to see to it that Squall is released quickly."

"Tch…" Zell frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Man, this sucks. I mean, they're picking on Squall and there's nothing we can do about it. Hell, the only reason why they've got him where they want him is 'coz he's lettin' them push him around."

"But if he resisted, Esthar would be placing pressure on Laguna to start a war against SeeD." Quistis said. "Because he's the major suspect of a rather large criminal offence, they would believe us to be harbouring a fugitive."

"Quistis is right." Cid said. "Squall wouldn't want a war to start because he ran from them. If anything, he would rather confront the situation and figure out what is going on himself. Unfortunately he won't be very effective in doing so behind bars. So for the meantime, we have to do what we can to figure out who is the real murderer and how he has been able to set Squall up so effortlessly."

"Hey, guys…" Irvine said. "I hate to interrupt, but…" Gesturing around himself he turned back towards the others. "has anyone seen Rinoa?"

* * *

Rinoa had been wondering around the Presidential Residence since hearing the grim news from the soldier. She hadn't told the others where she was going, mainly because they would have wanted to come with her. It wasn't that she was being selfish; it was just a precaution to prevent her from getting caught before she had a chance to see him. Just seeing how Squall was doing at that time would be enough for her, at least for the moment.

She wanted to make sure that he was alright; that the soldier had been telling them the truth instead of trying to protect them from it. They had a right to know whether or not he had been serious injured during the confrontation and if she had to track down her Knight in order to find out the truth, then so be it.

She had feigned lost whenever a worker had caught her wondering the hallway, and had asked them the location of the interrogation center. Soon enough, she had found it and, following a well placed directory, she had managed to secure to herself the location of the holding bay. It was only a matter of time until she found Squall, and she hoped that he hadn't already been locked up.

Rounding a corner, her spirits suddenly lifted as she caught sight of five figures walking down the hallway towards a set of double doors. Three of them were Estharian soldiers, all dressed in the purple and silver uniforms she had grown used to seeing during the Ultimecia war. One of the men was dressed completely in black and possessed dark skin. He even appeared to be wearing sunglasses, which reminded the girl of the days she grew up with soldiers wondering around everywhere she went. It was the fifth figure that brought her hopes up. He was dressed in a black leather jacket; not the one from the war, but a different kind, and a pair of blue jeans and black boots.

No longer caring whether or not she was caught, she ran down the hall, in hopes of catching up to them before they passed through the doors and she lost them. "Squall!" she shouted out, trying to get their attention.

The male she was trying to address seemed to look up at his name being called, but lowered his head again, probably thinking that it had been his imagination. He always did think too much.

"Squall!" she tried again, and this time she was successful in gaining his attention. He looked up once again, and inclined his head so that he was looking behind him. Upon seeing who it was that was calling him, he immediately tried to turn around, only to have two of the soldiers grab him by either arm, stopping his movement. The man in black turned around to see what the hold up was, and immediately began to approach her.

"This is a restricted area." He informed her. "I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Please, let me just talk to him." Rinoa begged. "Just for a minute."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." The man shook his head. "I have my orders."

"I've been cooperating for this long, haven't I?" Squall stated, frowning as he did. Never before had she missed that frown. "Doesn't that tell you that I don't intend on escaping?"

The man looked to Squall and back to Rinoa before frowning in thought. After a moment, he turned to look back at Squall and nodded. "Alright. I suppose you haven't done anything to prove otherwise. I'll let you two have five minutes, but that's all." Nodding towards the soldiers, they both released their grip on the SeeD, but neither made a move to remove the handcuffs on his wrists.

Rinoa resisted the urge to jump up and hug the man in black, merely waiting for her boyfriend, her knight, to walk towards her. The man even took a few steps away from the couple to grant them some privacy.

When Squall had approached her, Rinoa immediately jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Squall would have hugged her back if not for the handcuffs securing his arms behind his back. After a moment, she released him, glaring at him through tearful eyes. "You big idiot. What do you think you were doing?"

Squall sighed at the question. "Trying to avert a war."

Rinoa shook her head and sighed. "I've got news for you; it didn't work. My father is barely keeping the Galbadian troops at bay, and when Garden finds out what's going on, they're going to want a part in ripping Esthar a new one."

"I know." Squall nodded. "I talked to Kiros briefly just after arriving."

"Must you be so honourable?" Rinoa asked. "The others are here, and we're all going to do what we can to help, of course." Shaking her head, she laughed lightly. "And here I thought Esthar was the most technologically advanced city in the world. It looks like they're going back a few decades or something."

Squall raised an eyebrow and Rinoa realized that he hadn't heard much else besides the obvious. "Your father is losing his patience with the government. They keep going against his orders, and I thought from the expression on Cid's face after speaking to him that Laguna was going to lose it. I guess we know how you're able to control your own temper."

"The government's in an uproar because they think he's being too lenient." Squall explained. "They're just doing what they think is right."

"Why are you justifying their actions?" Rinoa asked. "They've pretty much convicted you! The trial is just there for appearances."

"So you've heard."

"I'm not the only one." Rinoa said. "Cid knew about it before he came out, which probably means Laguna knows too. I doubt he's very happy about it. I can only imagine what Matron's expression was when she found out."

The raven haired girl looked back towards the group of four, who were waiting patiently for the couple to finish their conversation. Turning back to Squall, she lowered her voice. "It isn't fair. They shouldn't be treating you like a criminal when they don't even know what happened. They're not even paying attention to you right now, so why can't we just get out of here. They wouldn't notice until after we've left."

She knew it was a long shot. She just didn't want to see Squall being persecuted for something that he didn't do. They hadn't even seen all of the evidence yet and they were acting as though they got the bad guy when they couldn't be further from the truth. She wasn't surprised when Squall looked over towards the guards and shook his head in response to the suggestion. "I know it's not fair, but life isn't fair. They're treating me the way they are because they think they have their murderer. If we were in the same position, I think we'd act the exact same way. But if I leave now, that will only look poorly on the both of us. Esthar would have an excuse to attack Garden, and we don't need that right now."

"Dammit Squall, you're not a martyr." Rinoa cried. "You didn't do anything wrong; you shouldn't have to pay the price just because someone else committed a crime. How is this any different from when you stopped me? You stopped me from allowing myself to be sent out into space for something that I couldn't possibly control? What's the difference between then and now? I didn't think I had a choice back then, and you still came and you still stopped me from making a horrible mistake."

"This is only temporary." Squall answered. "They'll have the evidence they need and then they'll have to release me. I won't be imprisoned for very long. But what you were condemning yourself to was a lifetime imprisonment, just because you had become a Sorceress. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had let you go. You'll see me soon; after the evidence from Galbadia has been shown to the Cabinet members, the President, whoever it concerns. But if you had gone into outer space, I wouldn't have seen you again."

Rinoa frowned deeply. Was this how Esthar repaid those who helped them? Those who did their dirty work while they hoped and prayed that their plan would work?

"Look at the evidence that's already been stacked against me." Squall explained. "Until Galbadia's evidence arrives, that's all they have, and it's all they need."

"I know." Rinoa sighed in defeat. "I don't like it, but I know. It's just so not fair." She looked up at him before tilting her head to the side. "You know, your father is doing everything he can to help."

"I know." Squall nodded. "But his hands are tied until that evidence arrives."

"Just don't let them pick on you anymore." Rinoa ordered, indicating towards the split lip. "Or I'm coming after the perpetrator who thinks he can get away with it."

"Is that an order?" Squall asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You can consider it as such." Rinoa smirked. "An order from your sorceress."

Just as Squall was about to answer, the man in black came to stand with the couple. "Sorry, but your time is up. We have to go now."

Squall looked at Rinoa for a moment before nodding in response. "Yeah, I know."

The man nodded before gesturing towards one of the soldiers and turning to Rinoa. "I'll have this soldier bring you back to the Presidential office." He said. "We don't really need him here anyway."

The soldier saluted in the man's direction before coming to stand besides the Sorceress. Rinoa sighed, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Squall took a step forward, surprising her. He took advantage of her shock before leaning forward and kissing her softly on the forehead. "I'll be alright…" he whispered. "I promise."

Rinoa couldn't say anything, and merely nodded in response, watching as the two remaining soldiers and the man in black escorted Squall through the double doors at the end of the hallway, before the soldier left behind began to escort her back to the Presidential office.

* * *

**The Time is now 10 a.m.

* * *

**


	9. 9th Hour

**Author's Note**: _I'm extremely sorry about the late update; I only have writer's block and an unfinished outline to blame for this, which actually jumps back onto my fault. Hopefully, the chapter following this one will be posted far faster. _

_Thanks to everyone for their feedback as well as their hits. Enjoy this chapter.

* * *

_

**The Following takes place between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

* * *

**

While the Presidential office was placed on the 69th floor in the Estharian Residence, the communications tactical group was stationed much closer to the ground, relying on holographic imagery to send messages of any sort of communications contact to its source. It was only security detail and the Cabinet who relied on the soldiers stationed in the area to deliver a message specifically.

The room itself was sparse, with enough space for a track meet to take place. The windows stemmed from the floor up towards the ceiling, slightly tilted so that the ceiling space appeared larger than the flat red floor they stepped on. A section of blue could be found in some areas of the room, mostly to the far sides, but there was one specifically positioned in the middle. Each of these blue spaces were actually tinted glass, so that the people below could be seen. It was a little disconcerting due to the height, but the Estharians had long since gotten used to the sight.

The space in the middle was different. Although the view was pretty much the same from where someone stood on top of it, it was actually designed to be a telecommunications device; of which a hologram-projected-version of themselves would be transferred to anyone they wished to deliver their message. There were a total of eight separate spaces on this blue area, so that each and every technician could deliver a message even if it was being used by a colleague.

Surrounding the circumference of the room were booths, each stationed with two people, one on either end, and each space in the middle contained a thin monitor in front of them, curving all around the room until it reached the opposite side forming a U-like symbol. The thin monitor appeared to be a simple computer screen, but the touch-pad technology the Estharians usually took for granted allowed them to touch the screen in order to accept or decline a phone call. A series of different pages popped up on all corners of the screen, usually overlapping each other in the end, was set up so the call could be accepted even while the technician was filling in a request or searching to see where the desired caller was stationed currently, as well as his or her status.

Normally, the technicians were left to their own devices; allowed to work in their own time and in the past had proven capable of delivering a message to the desired person. However, they were currently being visited by the Director of the Estharian Cabinet. He wore the customary purple robes with the black stripe running down the front as every other member of the cabinet was expected to, however, he also donned a sort of crest on the upper right hand side of the uniform, thus distinguishing his status compared to the rest of the cabinet. He stood in the center of the room, well away from the holographic machines, with his arms folded across his chest in an impatient stance. Checking his watch, he took notice that it was just after ten in the morning and he sighed in exasperation. "Why haven't they responded to us yet?"

"Sir," one of the technicians, a woman dressed in a simple white robe with a purple stripe running down the front, spoke up. "We're more than capable of contacting you when the Galbadians return your request."

The Director grinned grimly. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No sir," the technician immediately defended. "I mean no disrespect, but I was merely suggesting that, rather than waste your precious time keeping us company, you would rather do something far more interesting."

The grimness of the grin diminished and he smiled. "Thank you anyway, but I'd rather receive the message in person."

The technician nodded and returned to her work. The Director understood the reasoning behind her actions; his presence probably made them all nervous and, considering what his cabinet had done no more than two hours prior, he couldn't blame any of them. The Cabinet held power that was secondary only to the President but, in times where the Leader of Esthar could not come to a decisive decision, the cabinet was forced to use their power in the best interest of their country.

After the meeting had adjourned, the Director had sent a call to the Galbadian Embassy, in hopes that he would be able to speak to the Galbadian President personally. However, due to the mess the Estharian General had created by invading their former enemy's country, the Embassy could not patch him through. Apparently, the President had his own matters to attend to; no doubt trying to restore order to his people, but it was wearing on his patience level. They needed his affirmation of his co-operation immediately.

The reason the trial had been decided before obtaining the prisoner's statement was to see to it that the people of Esthar saw justice for the crime. There was doubt in his mind whether or not the man who once allied himself with Esthar in order to defeat the Sorceress had been involved in the crime, but the people didn't seem to agree. According to the reports being gathered by the numerous reporters within the city, the people wanted justice to be served, even if members of the government were sceptical when it came to his involvement. Christine had put it perfectly; it seemed highly unlikely that a man who stepped down from a position of power would wish to take out another government's power solely for his own gain. The media was all over the situation, exploiting the people's fears and stating that the criminal was still at large. They needed to think of the people first and, so far; it appeared as though Leonhart was their murderer. The evidence against him was substantial and could not be ignored in favour of a lengthy investigation. If it turned out that Leonhart was innocent, then they would issue a public apology, but until then, they had no choice but to prosecute him as an offender.

And as much as he understood the repercussions of his actions were going to be felt once the President found out, he knew that he had the best interest of the people to think about.

"Sir," the technician broke his train of thoughts and directed his attention towards him; a man dressed similarly to his cohort. "I'm receiving a transmission that appears to have come from the Galbadian Residence."

"Patch them through on the large screen." The Director said. He hoped that the President was responding to his subpoena order, despite the current situations. It didn't look good for Esthar to subpoena documented images right after their soldiers invaded the country they were requesting aid from. Unfortunately, this was the defence's only testament to their client's innocence and, if all evidence wasn't presented within an allotted time to allow the defence a chance to defend their client, there was a chance that the case would be thrown out.

A moment after he gave his order, a large screen descended from the ceiling above and flickered for a moment before an on-screen image of the President of Galbadia appeared on it. He didn't appear to be all too impressed that the Estharians were contacting him, but he also didn't appear to want to point that bit out. Instead, the Director held his breath, waiting for President Caraway to speak first.

"Let us skip the pleasantries and get right down to business." The former Galbadian General spoke after a moment of silence.

"I expected you would suggest us to do so, sir." The Director said. "I trust that you received our subpoena."

"Indeed I have." Caraway stated simply. "But before I say anything else on the matter, I wish to discuss a couple of things with you."

"Certainly sir."

"These surveillance tapes you have subpoenaed. I trust that they will be put to use in some sort of trial?"

"We have already spoken to the Arch Duke in Dollet about the proceedings." The Director answered. He had expected the conversation to turn in this direction. "The trial will take place within city of Dollet as an un-biased judge, so to speak, in order to determine an outcome to this entire mess. In the case that the suspect chooses a trial by judge, Dollet will begin a jury selection in order to determine the men or women to decide what happens to him."

"So the trial will be held in Dollet?" Caraway asked, as though confirming something."

"Yes sir. In fact, the trial will take place within a month's time, in order to properly prepare a defence and prosecution. We are still negotiating on a specific date and time."

"I see…" The Galbadian President appeared thoughtful for a moment before nodding to himself and looking directly through the communications device. "If that is the case, then I will forward any and all video and audio documentation your government has subpoenaed to the Dollet authorities pending the trial. In order to have a completely unbiased trial take place, I believe it would be prudent to allow the third party, in this case Dollet, to see to the tapes and recordings safety, wouldn't you agree?"

This, the Director had not been expecting. For a moment, he was lost for words, but he soon composed himself accordingly. It did make sense; to allow Dollet to be the keepers so as the tapes and documentation was not tampered with prior to the proceedings. "I would indeed, sir."

"Good. The tapes will arrive in Dollet within a window of twenty-four hours."

"Thank you sir." The Director bowed in respect. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"On the subject of the trial, no. You seemed to have answered all of my questions regarding that subject." Caraway's expression never wavered from it's serious appearance. "However, on the subject of what took place earlier this afternoon…"

"It is the President's wish to express his most sincere apology in regards to the invasion." The Director broke in. He knew the President had been furious once he became aware of the General's rash behaviour, and he felt that it would be plausible to apologize on behalf of him. "The Estharian General, Frederick Orally, failed to inform our president on his intentions."

"As I have been made well aware of." Caraway interjected. "Nevertheless, what is done has been done, and no one can change that fact. Due to this fact, it is in your best interest as well as Galbadia's that you do not expect much participation in regards to anything aside from what legally needs to be accomplished. I only send the tapes out of deep respect for the young man you currently hold in your custody, and hope that our evidence will outweigh yours. Needless to say I am only co-operating to keep an innocent man out of jail. Do not expect Galbadia to be so forthcoming in the future. Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir." The Estharian man bowed.

"Good." Caraway said, sitting back in his chair. "Give my regards to your President, and make sure he receives my statement."

The image blinked out in front of him, leaving the room silent.

* * *

Rinoa turned the corner, following closely behind the soldier leading her back towards the Presidential office. After security had taken Squall into custody, the raven-haired sorceress had become lost in thought as they manoeuvred through each hallway and avoided the multitudes of workers employed within the massive building. 

She couldn't help but remember the last time she had come to Esthar. It had happened after the Lunar Cry, so the city's technology had been rendered useless, lying in the streets and left alone until the power returned. She had been rescued from the Sorceress' Memorial, and when the call from Kiros had come, asking for their co-operation in a mission, every one of the team had been suspicious.

She recalled that, although the city was suffering from an all around power failure caused by the Lunar Cry, it had been a beautiful sight to take in. Even though Squall had suggested she stay behind in case it was a trap to capture her, she still had tagged along, and she didn't regret it.

But those fears of her being taken into custody once more had been banished upon entering the Presidential Office and seeing the smiling faces of Kiros, Ward and Laguna; the trio of Galbadian soldiers whom had been the subjects of Ellone's mysterious powers. Rinoa herself had not been one of the people the elder girl had sent into the past, but she did suspect her hand in hearing Squall's voice in outer space.

Closing her eyes at the painful memory, she blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. She had only just finished crying as they continued towards their destination and she wanted to be strong for her friends. Even though times were rough, she knew Squall wouldn't want another person's pity. It was a difficult decision; one of which Rinoa wasn't sure she would be able to make in his position, and she had to be strong; if not for herself and the others, than for him at least.

_Although you were also very close to making the same mistake…_ Rinoa thought to herself as they turned yet another corner. She had been fully prepared to be sealed off into space; to spend the rest of her days in stasis, if only to prevent her powers from taking over her. Squall had rescued her then; had told her in his actions how much he wanted her to stay.

She wished he had listened to her reasoning; that he was innocent and didn't need to give up when he didn't do anything wrong. Instead, in his usual stubborn matter, he chose to continue down this path. He had even appeared prepared to spend the rest of his life locked up.

On the outside, he appeared to be unaffected by his decision.

On the inside, it was a whole different story.

Falling out of her thoughts, she looked up to see that they had turned yet another corner, and could see her friends, gathered in front of the Presidential Office, just as she had left them. Cid and Edea Kramer were both with them; probably having talked to Laguna about this whole mess.

Selphie was the first to spot her, and the smaller girl began jumping up and down on the spot, tugging on both Zell and Irvine's arms and pointing in her general direction. Both males looked up, which attracted Quistis' attention and, soon, everyone was watching her approach, Selphie having bounded over towards the raven-haired youth and pulled her towards the group.

"Where have you been!" Selphie yelled as they approached the others. "We've been so worried!"

Rinoa took in a deep breath, even as the others gathered around her. "I saw him."

Judging by the looks she received from those simple yet complicated words, she understood that she didn't need to explain herself. "I caught him just before they put him in lock up."

"Well don't just stand there." Quistis broke in, gesturing for the girl to continue. "What happened?"

"Is he okay?" Zell jumped in.

"What'd he say?" Irvine prompted.

"If those meanies hurt him…" Selphie started but Rinoa put up her hand to silence their inquiries.

"He's alright, you guys." Rinoa said, addressing the first question. "All he got from getting attacked in interrogation was a split lip. Nothing serious, though I told him not to let them walk all over him anymore."

"That's a relief." Irvine said, taking off the hat he wore and wiping his forehead. "Was startin' to think he got replaced with a clone or somethin'."

"Don't even say that!" Selphie said, slapping Irvine on the arm. Even while the Galbadian sharpshooter rubbed at the appendage, Selphie whirled on Rinoa once again. "What did he say?"

"We didn't get much time, so we talked about a few things." Rinoa answered simply.

"Did you tell him he was bein' stupid?" Zell interjected. "That he's takin' the fall for some jackass who's still out there?"

"Yes I did." Rinoa answered before averting her gaze. "And he knows it too. But he still went with them. He said it was to prevent Esthar from starting a war with Garden."

"Lotta good that'll do." Irvine muttered. "Galbadia's already itching to start a brawl with the Estharians."

"He knows that too, and if anything it's fuelling his actions." Rinoa explained. "He said that the Estharians are just doing what they think is the right thing and that if the position was reversed we'd be acting the exact same way."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it," Cid stated, Edea nodding in agreement. "he's absolutely right. The Estharians have been convinced, by someone on the outside or the inside, that they have the one responsible for the crime, and they plan to act according to this belief. There's little we can do about it until those tapes arrive in Esthar and the truth has been exposed."

"I know that." Rinoa said. "And that's exactly what he said too. It's just that…what if something happens to that evidence? What if it gets tampered with and it makes him look even guiltier? He could spend the rest of his life paying for a crime he never committed. It wouldn't matter how many people said he didn't do it, if the evidence is stacked against him then he wouldn't stand a chance by himself."

No one said a word for a moment, each one absorbing the meaning behind Rinoa's words. The young Sorceress clenched and unclenched her fists in an attempt to curb her emotions, but all it was doing was making her feel worse. What right did the Estharians have to treat him that way? To treat him like a common criminal with no rights or freedom of his own? What right did anyone have to treat anyone like that? It was degrading and humiliating and it pained her to see Squall in that position; where he couldn't even retaliate without it looking as though he were guilty.

"There is something else, isn't there?" Edea spoke, breaking the silence and startling everyone as a result. "There is something else bothering you, isn't there child?"

Rinoa wanted to deny that there was nothing wrong; to be the optimist in the group where there could be no one else. To tell them that everything was fine and that everything was going to return to normal. But if she said any of that, it would have been a lie, and the former Sorceress would know it as well. As much as she wanted to reassure the others, she knew that she owed it to them to express her concerns. They had known Squall for far longer than she had; they were his family and they had a right to know whether everything was truly alright.

Sighing, Rinoa wished that she could have been anywhere but where she was at the moment; that she would just wake up and everything – this entire ordeal – was just a dream. That she would find Squall training in the Garden Training Center like he did any other time he was off-duty and that she could tell him about this ridiculous dream. Then he would shrug it off as nothing to worry about and tell her it was just a dream and that dreams couldn't hurt her, but keep her company anyway – for her own comfort if nothing else.

But it wasn't a dream. It was reality, and there wasn't a single thing she could do to change it. So she released the breath she had taken and decided to tell them the truth. "When I spoke to him, he said he was alright, which can mean a whole lot of things, as we all know. And I told him what I thought about what he was doing. He listened, and said that everything was going to be alright."

She paused for a moment, reflecting on what she was going to say next before choosing to finally just say it. "But what he said and how he felt were two different things. Don't ask me to explain, I'm not sure what it is myself, but I was able to f_eel _how he felt. You couldn't tell by looking at him or watching his expressions but I just knew. And he was scared – boarder lining terrified – I can't even begin to describe it. I think he already knows what we're worried about, and he's worried too, but he's still willing to co-operate just so the rest of us don't have to fight."

"Shit…" Zell said after another moment of silence.

Rinoa could understand why no one said anything. What could anyone say after hearing something like that? It sounded unbelievable, even if she knew it was true. Just when she was about to disregard what she had told her friends, Edea stepped in, stopping her from doing so. "You believe that you felt how he was feeling because in a sense, it is true."

Rinoa blinked in confusion while Edea continued. "You and Squall are both closely connected, due to two things. First is the things the two of you went through together, and the second, and most important of the two, is your personal feelings for one another. Because of these two things, a bond is beginning to take form between the two of you; the bond that a Sorceress possesses with her Knight. Right now, it is still only in the developing stage, however as it grows, you will both be able to feel exactly what the other is feeling by will. Did Squall give any indication that he felt your emotions?"

Rinoa shook her head in response. "As I thought. The bond, although it reaches to both ends, can only be felt by one of the two recipients at first. Right now, because of your powers, your side of the bond is stronger than his end, and thus you are able to sense how he feels without him even knowing that you are doing it."

"Whoa…" Irvine muttered, Selphie nodding in agreement. "So if she wants to, whenever he says 'I'm fine' from now on, she can call him on lying or something?"

"Exactly." Edea nodded. "But only as it becomes stronger will Rinoa be able to call upon it by will. Right now, it works some times, but other times it will be unresponsive. Something must have happened to the both of you to have this bond begin to build so quickly…"

Rinoa thought about it for a moment before the realization came to her. Time Compression! It made absolute sense! She went back into Time Compression when it was apparent Squall hadn't made it. She had searched all over for him until she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of despair. She followed it and that was when she had found him in that barren wasteland. Thinking back on it, she hadn't understood where the feeling had come from, but now she knew.

Those feelings of despair had come from him.

When they had returned from Time Compression, neither Rinoa nor Squall had spoken about that barren place. Something about it had shattered him emotionally and, out of respect, Rinoa had not told the others about it. She felt that it would be best if Squall told them when he was ready to face it again, but she didn't know when he would be ready to discuss something that severe to anyone.

It was out of respect for Squall's personal wishes that she opted to keep her mouth shut about it. "I wish I knew." She said, shrugging. "Maybe it was when we were in space, or maybe even before that. I haven't felt any kind of emotion from him before now anyway, so your guess is as good as mine."

Edea gave her a sceptical look, but did not seem to wish to question her word and Rinoa was extremely grateful for it. She knew that, eventually, the former Sorceress would ask her about it, but she wouldn't say anything on the subject unless she talked to Squall about it first.

* * *

_**10:12:06

* * *

**_

After separating from Rinoa, he had been escorted through the set of double doors that had stood at the end of the hallway and had entered yet another corridor. The only differences were the colouring; on the outside the walls were an off-white tone and the rugs that laminated the halls were a dark red, but in this hallway, the walls were a mundane grey, and there were no carpets. Not that he'd care either way. He wasn't exactly in a position to ask for hospitality.

After confiscating his personal items, such as his wrist watch, the bud of his earring, his gloves and the Griever chain, the officials took his fingerprints and set them on record before handing him a serial number of which he was to hold in front of him while they took his mug shot. After that, he was outfitted in the standard uniform the prisoners were forced to wear; a light blue muscle shirt with a matching pair of pants and a white t-shirt underneath and given a pair of white running shoes in his shoes size. His clothes and boots were stored with the rest of his confiscated belongings.

Throughout the process, he heard others coming into the same room, being forced to co-operate through the same set up he had, all fighting their way through the guards, and trying to escape, only succeeding in being restrained and forced to comply with the guards.

Squall hadn't so much as blinked out of turn.

He hadn't given up hope of being proven innocent, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that whatever happened between now and the trail (if they held him for that long anyway) he was going to be strictly monitored. He didn't have anything to hide, and even so, he knew that fighting the guards was useless anyway, since he would be released once the evidence had been produced.

It didn't make him feel any better though.

That had all taken the span of ten minutes, and he could tell the guards were thankful for his co-operation. He could only imagine what they had to put up with from the prisoners who tried to make a run for it. He had tripped one of the men who tried to get away, and it had almost escalated into an all out brawl. The only thing stopping the assailant from attacking the SeeD had been the cuffs keeping his hands tied behind his back.

He had been escorted to a holding cell and, as soon as he heard the door slam shut behind him, and was released of the pair of cuffs keeping his owns hands bound, Squall immediately headed straight for one of the beds, stationed off to one side and sat down. The cell was a moderate size, probably designed to hold multiple prisoners, and possessed two sets of bunk beds, thus affirming the SeeDs suspicions, each bed adjacent from each other. He didn't bother to look around and acquaint himself with his new 'cellmates', having never done so in the past with other cadets at Garden.

He could only imagine the kind of hell he was putting the others through and it tore him up inside. As much as he tried to appear indifferent to them, the others were his friends, and he didn't want to cause them any pain or suffering. He knew he couldn't have it both ways, and that if he had chosen to run and hide, it would've been selfish. He couldn't put other people through another war, especially after everyone had just settled down from the Sorceress War that had just passed. But just recalling the expression on Rinoa's face when he had told her what he had to do was enough to hurt him. He couldn't deny that he had wanted to get out of there; to pretend that this entire thing hadn't happened, but he couldn't, not without putting himself in front of everyone else. Whoever framed him wanted the leading countries to start a war between each other, and if he had run it would have been like playing into their hands. He would be damned if he let that happen.

If he did get out of this mess, he knew he would be facing disciplinary charges. He disobeyed a direct order from his superior and, despite the circumstance; he knew what he had been doing at the time. Sometimes, the rules just needed to be broken in order to see the bigger picture.

Chuckling softly, Squall shook his head. _I'm starting to sound like Seifer_.

"Something funny, punk?"

Squall was broken out of his thoughts by the voice and inclined his head in the direction it came from. There were two men, outfitted the same way he was. One of the two was bigger and more muscular, his head having been clean shaven while the other was tall and lanky, his clothes appearing to be hanging off of him, his greasy looking hair having been pulled back into a ponytail.

The one with the shaved head held something in his hand and, after examining it with his eyes, Squall recognized it as a plastic utensil, probably the closest thing to a weapon any one of the prisoners was going to get. Judging by the direction they were facing, the teenager assumed that they were talking to him. He just stared at them for a moment before turning back to look at the floor.

"I asked you a fucking question." He said again. The SeeD heard footsteps approaching and could tell he was being approached.

"You better fuckin' answer him." The other one said.

"Go away." Most of the cadets listened to this request at Garden, and, despite him saying it, Squall figured it wasn't going to work.

He was right.

"Butch, he's gotta be a newb." The lanky one said. "Haven't seen him around here before."

"Me neither. Yeah, he's definitely a newb. He wouldn't be talking ta me like that if he wasn't."

Squall closed his eyes in an attempt to ignore them. He really didn't want to have to put up with their shit at the moment and figured that if he didn't say anything else, they might just take the hint and go away. Unfortunately, Hyne laughed in his face once more.

"Hey, listen here, newb," Butch said. "If you wanna avoid a fight, you beta do exactly what I tell ya ta do, and I'm tellin' ya ta answer my fucking question."

_I don't have to answer anything. Just go away and leave me the hell alone._ Squall tried to appear indifferent to his threat, but he was beginning to lose his patience. Rinoa's words were ringing in his ears, telling him not to let anyone else walk all over him anymore, and it wasn't helping to alleviate the headache that was beginning to spring forth.

"I'm only gonna ask ya one more time." Butch said, breaking through his thoughts. "What's so fucking funny, punk?"

"And I'm only going to warn you one more time." Squall's tone was deathly calm. "Leave me the fuck alone."

"Look at 'im." The lanky one said, coming to stand next to Butch. "He thinks he's tough shit. And he's nuthin' but a puny kid, too. What the fuck is that all about?"

_Please just fuck off…_ Squall thought to himself.

"He can think whatever the fuck he wants, but he better not fuck around with me." Butch snarled, grabbing a hold of the teenager's shoulder.

The reaction that came next even had Squall shocked. One minute, he was sitting on the bed and the next, he had Butch pinned, his foot on the back of his neck, while his right hand pulled his arm backwards. The small plastic knife that had been in Butch's hand a moment ago was now is Squall's, and the sharp edge was raised at the prone man's jugular.

Butch gulped as his friend took a couple of steps away from the SeeD. "Fucking hell! What the fuck was that?"

"If you don't want me to make another hole to breathe through, you'll leave me the fuck alone." The SeeD ground out through clenched teeth and was barely able to restrain himself from doing just that. Butch nodded his head quickly and Squall stood up, releasing his grip on the bigger man and returning to the bed where he had been sitting on, staring at his hands at the same time. Butch and his friend high-tailed it to the furthest side of the cell, but Squall barely even noticed them.

Usually, he was extremely even tempered and could hold it in for as long as possible until he went to the training center in Balamb Garden to get it out of his system. But this time, he had completely lost it; had even gone so far as to black out momentarily. Closing his eyes tightly, Squall wondered what would have happened had he not snapped out of it in time? Would he have killed another inmate with nothing but a plastic knife?

Sighing, he dropped the knife onto the ground before stretching out on the bed he would be using. He took in a deep calming breath before letting it out slowly, counting backwards from ten, curling and uncurling his fingers. He could feel it working; the adrenaline he had pumping through his veins was slowly ebbing away, taking with it the pent up frustrations he had fuelled up from the last few hours. It wasn't good for him to keep it all bottled up, but it would be even worse if he let it all out, especially now, given the current circumstances.

_Get your mind off of this, Leonhart, _he thought to himself. _Think of a contingency plan, just in case. You can't run; that'll just make you seem guilty. But you can't keep letting people push you around either. Physically fighting back is effective, but it works against you, so just don't let it happen again._

Squall nodded to himself in silent affirmation before directing his gaze up onto the bunk above him. The last thoughts he had before drifting off were of how the others were dealing with the situation.

* * *

When he cracked his eyes open, he realized it was coming up to 10:30 in the morning. If he wanted to get the grocery shopping done before he met up with his friends, then he'd have to haul ass. 

Bobby Anderson yawned as he stretched his arms above his head, rising to his feet and scratching his ass through his boxers. He pulled his muscle shirt over his head and threw it back onto the bed as he made his way over to the bathroom.

Bobby used to be one of those kids who didn't have a single problem in his life until he fell in with the wrong crowd. Next thing everyone knew, Bobby was stealing money in order to get high with the rest of his friends. He dropped out of school soon after that, pretending to be attending classes when in actuality he was hanging out in arcades or at his friend's house, smoking dope and getting high. He had thought he had it made until the cops busted him for shoplifting and charged him with possession of an illegal substance when they found his stash,

It went down hill after that. Since it was a first offence, he received a sentence of 250 hours of community service and was required to return to school, since he was only fifteen at the time. Five years later, after a blow out with his father, he had been tossed out into the street, and told to make it on his own.

He had bummed around for a few years after that; jumping from one friend's house to another, and stealing money in order to get a room for the night. On the nights where he was stuck outside, he'd sleep in the back alley. He didn't have a job, so how was he supposed to find a place to live? And any money he did find he used for drugs mostly.

That was where Jack came into the equation.

Six years ago, Jack had been coming home from work when he found his younger brother on the street, begging for money. He had just been about to walk away, leaving behind some of his spare change when he took another look at him and recognized him. Straight away, he hadn't asked questions and brought him to his apartment to get a bite to eat.

It was later that night when the questions came.

Bobby had told him about what happened with their parents and how they'd booted him out. He hadn't spoken to them since, so he had no idea if they were still alive or not. It wasn't like he cared about it though… or at least he thought he didn't care. It turned out that five years earlier, the house he used to live in burned down, and by the time they had gotten to the house, his father had already died. His mother had Second Degree Burns all over her body, but by the time they arrived at the hospital, it was too late to save her.

So now, six years later, Bobby, at the ripe age of 36, Bobby was cleaned up and an available bachelor. True, he had a couple of job interviews coming up, but that didn't mean he couldn't freeload off his older brother for at least a little while longer. He had a bachelor pad he had his eye on, located pretty close by, and he wanted to be sure he could save up enough money to place a down payment. He had even started playing the lottery; hoping to hit it big. If anything, it'd be to pay back Jack for everything he'd done for him.

Jack was ten years older than Bobby, and his half brother. Jack's real mother had died in a car crash, leaving his old man depressed for a while, until he met up with Bobby's mother. But despite the fact they had different mothers, Jack had always stood up for him, even when his dad was being a prick, and even when his mom had sided with his dad against them. Even when he dropped out of school, Jack managed to cover for him.

Bobby finished up in the bathroom and, after washing his hands, he strolled down the hallway towards the living room and kitchen, hoping that there was something edible to eat for breakfast. As he passed Jack's room, he stopped and strolled back, an eyebrow raised.

Jack was a neat freak, to put it lightly. Everything was colour coded, folded a specific amount of times, and filed symmetrically. It freaked Bobby out at times that someone could be so neat and tidy. He may have cleaned up his act since he got up off the streets, but that didn't mean he didn't leave clothes lying around the floor like normal people.

His older brother always was up and out of the house before Bobby was even out of bed in the mornings, especially on the weekends, but he always left him a note telling him what to record for him while he was out. There was a spoken agreement between the two males; never make Jack miss a show if he can avoid it and never force Bobby out of bed before 10 am if he doesn't have to be.

Even though Bobby knew Jack's schedule off by heart, it was still nice to find a note left behind, telling him good morning and wishing him luck on whatever endeavour it was he was planning on doing next. Just as long as he kept the apartment clean.

But as he entered the bedroom, he noticed that something was off. The timer on Jack's computer stated that the last time it had been used was two nights ago. That didn't make any sense, since Jack always goes on the computer whenever he comes home from work. He didn't think his brother would have stayed overnight at the Presidential Residence, since the President was anal about anyone working twenty-four hours straight.

Shrugging it off, he approached the kitchen, in hopes of finding some breakfast, only to discover that there was no note left up for him. This had Bobby on edge, since Jack was, of course, by the date book kind of guy. He was never late for anything and was extremely anal when he was running behind schedule for just about everything. That was one thing Bobby couldn't stand about his older brother.

Deciding that he would stall on breakfast in order to get his brother's VCR all set up, Bobby sat down and turned on the television which was, predictably, set on the news. The black box set up on top of the TV made it so that, by default, the television returned to the news no matter what channel it was on previously. Bobby didn't mind at all. It saved him from pushing a couple of buttons on the remote.

"…And a recap of our top story," the pretty brunette news anchor spoke, attracting Bobby's attention. "Tragedy strikes the hearts of many today, as five employees working within the confines of the Estharian Presidential Residence were murdered earlier this morning…"

Bobby leaned forward in his seat, no longer enticed by the reporter. Didn't Jack say something about being forced to work on some kind of peace project in the Presidential Residence?

"…The police have no comment on what took place in the early hours of the morning, but sources tell us that it was premeditated homicide." The woman continued. "Sources also tell us that a murder weapon was left behind inside one of the victims, which is the police's only clue as to who committed the crime. The police are not releasing the names of the victims who did not make it past this night. Representatives of the Estharian Cabinet, as well as the President, had no comment on the progress of the investigation, however, it is believed that the General of the Army commandeered a plane heading out of the country, in order to pursue a lead…"

"Duh… the guy's a dipshit if he left his weapon behind." Bobby snickered. He was just about to turn up the volume and head off to the kitchen in search of food when the phone suddenly began to ring. Thinking that it was for Jack, Bobby shrugged it off and opened the fridge, inspecting its contents for anything edible. The phone stopped ringing as the caller was moved to the answering machine and the tell-tale 'beep' resounded. Bobby didn't hear anything come from the caller, and figured that they hung up when the machine beeped again, cutting off the message.

Bobby had given up his search in the fridge and had begun searching the cabinets for anything to eat when the phone began to ring again. Bobby frowned deeply as he continued searching for food until it finally stopped, forwarding the call to the answering machine once again. After a moment, the phone rang a third time, and, in frustration, Bobby slammed the cabinet door shut and stalked towards the phone, grabbing the device and shouting into it. "There's such a thing as a fucking answering machine, you douche bag!"

"Finally, someone answered." A voice said on the opposite end. "I knew if I kept calling, someone'd answer eventually."

"Look." Bobby said, his face still red. "If you're callin' for Jack, he ain't here. Now go fuck yourself and leave me alone!"

"Oh, I already know Jack's not there. I was calling for you."

Bobby went to retort, but stopped, his jaw hanging open in shock. Regaining his composure after a moment, he yelled into the phone again. "How the fuck do you know my brother's not here?"

"A, you just told me. B, have you seen the news?"

"Yeah? So what?"

"So you heard about the murders this morning?"

"Yeah, it's all over the fucking news."

"So I guess you know that your brother was one of the ones killed."

Bobby went to open his mouth but no sound came out. He stared at the television screen before sinking into the couch positioned behind him in shock. It would explain why predictable Jack didn't leave him a note as usual, or why he hadn't used his computer in two days.

It was because he wasn't coming back.

He wondered why no one had contacted him; to let him know that his brother was dead sooner? Was it because of the investigation? Did they want to make absolutely sure that they were right? Or did he just sleep through the phone ringing?

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he squeezed his eyes tightly, willing the tears back. Out of anyone in his entire life, Jack had been the only one to truly give a damn about him; to take care of him. Jack was one of the best men he knew; a straight arrow; the kinda guy you'd wanna turn out to be when you grew to be his age. He didn't deserve to die.

A guy like Bobby, who'd spent most of his days mooching off good men like Jack, and wasted the majority of their life on drugs, being pushed in and out of jail, deserved to rot in hell.

Getting up, Bobby trudged over to the fridge, having switched phones so that he was holding onto a cordless. _Jack never did like it when I took the cordless outta the room…_ he thought to himself bitterly as he opened up the refrigerator, in search for something with alcohol in it.

"Bobby? Are you still there, Bobby?"

Finding nothing suitable for his tastes, Bobby slammed the fridge door shut in disgust. "Yeah, I'm still here. Whatcha want? Ta gloat or somethin'?"

The voice on the other end chuckled. "No, Bobby, that's not what I want. I just wanted to call and let you know that they caught the bastard who killed your brother."

"Fuck him!" Bobby shouted. "He can fucking rot in hell for all I care! It won't fucking bring him back! I hope he fucking gets the death penalty."

"Well there may be a small problem with that."

"What?" Bobby asked. He wanted to know why it was that the motherfucker wasn't already frying in hell for this.

"Because he's related to the President. It's his son, actually."

Bobby cursed loudly, preparing to throw the phone across the room, but stopped himself. The man seemed to know a lot and was willing to tell him everything he needed to know. The system never worked, no matter who was in charge. Adel could still be running the country for all he knew, if guys like the fucking President's kid could get away with murdering good guys like Jack. If the system worked, then people like him would be used for fucking canon fodder.

"So he's not gonna fry then…" Bobby said, beginning to pace. "He's gonna get off Scot free, just 'coz his old man runs the country?"

"Not necessarily."

This made Bobby stop pacing. "But you just said…"

"I said it was a small problem. I didn't say it wasn't going to happen. However, it probably won't if something isn't done to right this injustice."

Bobby nodded, turning to look at a picture on the wall. It was of Jack when he'd first gotten into engineering and computer Sciences, while Bobby was just starting to get into the wrong crowds. They looked so happy at that point in time. Their parents were standing in the background, all smiles, as if nothing in the world could pull their spirits down.

And now, he was the only one left.

By all rights, he should have been the one who died, and Jack should have been the one who was still alive.

"I'm listening."

"Within the next hour, I'll have a contact that you can speak to. Meet him at the Central District, a place called 'Chip and Dale's repair shop'. He will do whatever it takes for you to get what you need to have done, no strings attached, and no matter what the law says, but it's up to you. If you don't show up within fifteen minutes of the time limit, the deal comes off the table and, most likely, the killer will walk."

Bobby's glare intensified at the picture, singling out his brother. Jack had had a whole life ahead of him before he'd come around sniffing for scraps. Jack could've been happy; living the bachelor's life and getting everything he deserved.

"Don't worry. If he ain't there in an hour, I'll fucking do it myself!" Bobby hung up the phone before hurling it across the room, knocking over the living room table in the process.

* * *

_**10:36:58

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**_

Christine Lockhart was reading through her the file that had been sent to her at the end of the Cabinet meeting, and she was astounded that the behavioural problems she was reading about could pertain from one individual, never mind the fact that he still could be considered an adolescent.

According to the reports SeeD had handed over during the preparation of the United Confederation, Squall Leonhart had tact for avoiding any form of human contact, from as little as working alone to as large of flat out ignoring those who were around him, pretending as though they didn't exist. This apparently started when he had first attended Garden, and had lasted throughout his adolescence.

It concerned her that anyone could be this detached from any human contact, especially at such a young age, which strengthened her belief that there was, indeed, something wrong with him mentally. Perhaps something had taken place when he was far younger to force him to believe that contact with another human being was a bad thing.

Sighing to herself, Christine removed her glasses before rubbing the bridge of her nose and frowning. Other than his obvious behavioural problems, he had been a fairly attentive student in his classes; with good grades, and a high recommendation to participate in the SeeD Exam by his Instructor and Headmaster.

She was just about to skip to the end of the file when something caught her eye, forcing her to read into it. According to further reports, he seemed to have gotten into trouble repeatedly, along with another student. Raising an eyebrow, she realized that this information contradicted the earlier reports of his isolation and continued to read, soon discovering that the Garden Faculty members had dubbed him a 'problem child' from the very beginning of his stay.

Christine was no lawyer, but she knew enough to understand that this information could either help him or hurt him in a trail preceding.

Someone knocked on the door behind her, and she called for them to enter, never taking her eyes off the documents that lay before her. She was becoming increasingly intrigued by the man who was accused of murder, and this intrigue increased her certainty that speaking to him one-on-one would benefit all parties involved.

"Find anything interesting?" A familiar voice asked from behind her.

Christine couldn't help but smile. "Only information that strengthens my resolve. If you've come to talk me out of it, you're in for one hell of a fight."

James sighed, moving to stand in front of her, his arms folded across his chest. "No. I've already figured out that trying to tell you what to do is like trying to teach a Malboro how to brush its teeth. It's a lost battle."

"Then why the pleasant visit?" Christine placed the file folder onto her desk and watched the dark skinned man in front of her.

"I just thought you might want to hear something interesting?"

"So President Loire has actually come through with his threat on designing the security detail uniforms?"

James raised an eyebrow as Christine chuckled softly. "Do I look like I belong in the circus?"

"I believe those where his words on the subject, yes."

"I meant something interesting about the prisoner."

At this, all traces of humour left the psychiatrist's expression and she leaned forward into her desk. "I'm listening."

"I've noticed from being around him that he is a cold and uncaring individual." James explained.

"I could easily read that from his file." Christine interjected.

"However," James continued. "when placed in the same room as his girlfriend, his personality executes a complete three-sixty in character."

Christine raised an eyebrow. "He has a girlfriend?"

"He does." James nodded before tilting his head to the side. "I would have thought you'd have already read through his file."

"I'm halfway done. His file folder is a lot bigger and far more complex than a lot of my patients."

"Excuses, excuses…" James waved off.

"Are you here to tease me, or just to say 'I told you so'?"

James took a seat in a chair that was positioned beside her. "And if I said it was for the casual sex?"

"Then I'd assure you that you wouldn't be receiving any."

"It's a good thing I didn't say that then."

Christine frowned as James tried to appear very innocent. "If he does have a girlfriend, then that throws my theory out the window, and you know it."

"What? That he's suffering from some form of personality disorder that doesn't let him be around other people?" James asked before shaking his head. "Even I think that it's farfetched."

Christine sighed. "Not if you read through the same reports that I have. Everything starting from a very young age and continuing on throughout his youth points to a personality disorder. There are only two instances that discredit this theory; one of which you brought to my attention. The other is he used to get into fist fights with another cadet, and I could easily explain that one. But a romantic relationship with a girlfriend when he avoids all other contact is going to be far more difficult."

"Then why not just admit you are wrong."

"Because honestly, I don't believe I am."

"Christine." James sighed as he took one of Christine's hands with his own. "It's alright to make mistakes about people."

"Just because you think he's guilty, doesn't necessarily mean he is."

"I never said that. I just said that the evidence against him is heavy."

"And yet he still denies that he did it. I still stand by the fact that he might have had a lapse of sanity."

"The crime was far too well planned to have been just a spur of the moment."

"Then maybe it happened on and off for a while. It is a possibility. I still maintain that I'm right and that he needs to be institutionalized."

"And if you're wrong and he is a murderer?"

"Then this interview will find out for us." Christine smiled at him, even when he frowned in response to her comment. "You've already made sure I have at least six soldiers stationed at my side in case anything happens, which I don't think will. I'll be perfectly safe, James, if that's what you're really worried about."

"I just don't like the idea of you being left in the same room as a man who, quite possibly, could have killed five people without remorse or hesitation while the soldiers are left standing outside of the room, waiting until you're done speaking to him. What if he doesn't say anything? What if he refuses to answer any of your questions?"

"If he wants to prove that he's innocent, then he'll co-operate." Christine argued. "You said it yourself; he didn't even struggle while he's been here, and he didn't fight back when the General attacked him in interrogation…"

"He was being questioned."

"Sounds more like an interrogation to me." Christine rose to her feet, James quickly following suit as she stared him down. "And if he does resist, I'll call one of the soldiers to come in and to sit with us for the duration of the interview. We still need to obtain his statement, and at best I'm the one with the best reason to."

"Just promise you'll be careful, okay?" James asked softly. "I don't want anything to happen to you, not over this. Don't try to save someone you can't possibly save, alright?"

Christine took in a deep breath before letting it out as she nodded. "Alright. I promise. I'll be a good girl and stay out of trouble."

* * *

A green coloured train pulled into the docking section of the station and, as soon as the vehicle had come to a complete stop, the station workers began the preparations needed to assist the passengers from the train cars. 

As the doors opened, one by one the passengers disembarked and began the process of locating their friends, families and colleagues who were awaiting their arrive. One man, however, did not wait and proceeded directly towards the exit of the station, leading into the town of Balamb.

The man was dressed in dark colours; a dark hooded sweater and a pair of black sweat pants, black boots protecting his feet from the light chill that encased the fishing-town in its grasp. His features were shrouded in the shadows caused by the hood, shielding his face from view as he carried a duffle bag on his left hand side, the strap sitting atop his shoulder. Checking his watch, he realized that he had made it in good time.

Pulling something out of his pocket, he dialled the number on his cellphone while looking intently at the piece of paper with a number scrawled onto it. He had never had to call his companions before, so he never had gotten around to memorizing the required number.

Two rings later, someone finally picked up on the other end. "It's me." He stated clearly, his voice devoid of an accent that would betray his origin. "I just got in and I'm heading to the place right now."

He received an affirmation before hanging up the phone and grabbing a hold of the arm that belonged to a man walking by. Upon receiving a startled look, the man released the grip. "Sorry about that; I've had three people brush me off already and I didn't really want to be ignored again. I'm kinda new around here, and I was wondering where Balamb Garden is located."

The man, a local, smiled brightly at the stranger. "Sure thing. It's about east from here, a mile out of town." He pointed towards the town exit as he continued his explanation. "It's nearer to the mountain range, but if you reach a warm cave, then you've gone too far. It's large though, so you shouldn't miss it."

The stranger nodded, understanding everything the man had said. "Thanks a lot. I appreciate the help."

"It's not a problem." The man stated as he carried on his way.

The stranger waved to him before stuffing his hands into his pockets and smiling to himself. He hadn't actually needed directions, since he already knew where he was heading, but it would help if he acted the part of a tourist. It'd be more difficult to spot his motives that way.

Adjusting the strap on his bag so that it sat more comfortably on his shoulder, the stranger made his way down the road to the town exit, towards his destination.

* * *

**The Time is now 11 a.m.

* * *

**


	10. 10th Hour

_I would like to take this oppourtunity to apologize to the people who read this story. I haven't updated this thing since January of this year, and I'm sorry to say that it was because I got lazy and didn't want to work on my outline. I already knew what I was doing and I only had up to chapter nine plotted out, which wasn't a good thing for this story. But now, you don't have to worry about such gaps between updates anymore; I've finished my outline! (I worked on it for a week straight ). _

_Once again, I'm really sorry about the late update and I hope you enjoy this story. And please remember to review._

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* * *

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**The Following takes place between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.**

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* * *

**

He was awakened roughly when something pushed at his forehead. Realizing that he had drifted off unintentionally, he jerked his eyes opened and forced himself into a sitting position. Unfortunately, because the board above him wasn't nearly high enough, he managed to cause further damage on the top of his head and fell backwards; landing against the bed he had been lying on, cradling his forehead with his left hand. Once the pain subsided a little bit, he managed to push himself into a half-sitting, half-leaning position and turned to face the cause.

It was another inmate – one he hadn't actually seen when he first arrived. The man had short dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes. The tail end of a snake could be seen on his left arm; poking out of the rolled up sleeve of his uniform, which on the right side of his neck was positioned the head. It sort of reminded him of Zell's vine like tattoo on the left side of the brawlers face, and he tried to shift his train of thoughts back to his current location.

Regardless of what he was thinking, he didn't allow any of it to cross his features as he stared at the man squatting in front of him. When a minute passed and the man didn't say anything, Squall finally broke the silence. "Can I help you?"

"You were talking in your sleep." The man stated simply. "Just thought I'd wake you up."

Frowning slightly, Squall recalled Rinoa saying something about him doing that sort of thing, but after a couple of months, they figured that it only happened when he was stressed out or thinking about something. Basically, whenever he didn't beat himself into exhaustion in the training center. But the fact that he could have said anything vitally important to Garden was unnerving in itself. "What exactly was it that I said?"

The man simply shrugged. "Don't know. You were talking in a different language. I've lived here in Esthar my whole life"

Squall pulled himself up into a complete sitting position and the stranger must have taken that as an invitation because he sat down right beside him. "You're new here, right? Name's Riley." He extended his hand outward, probably expecting the teenager to shake it. Squall simply did what he always did; stared at the hand before staring at the man who offered it.

Eventually, Riley took the hint and simply shrugged in response. "Saw what happened between you and Butch."

Riley gestured towards Butch and his lanky friend. Upon noticing him staring, Butch jumped and tried to disappear into the wall, his friend doing the exact same. Riley shook his head in response. "Don't worry 'bout him. He talks big, but he can't do anything to anyone. Got busted for attempted murder. Soon as he cut his victim, he fainted when he saw all the blood. Or so the guards say."

"And I didn't see you before because…" Squall prompted.

Riley shrugged again. "Was on the top bunk. You guys woke me up, but I kept quiet. No one really wants to talk to anyone when they first show up. Side's, I wanted to see how you held yourself before stepping in. Never seen anyone your age move that fast."

Squall didn't respond, instead focusing his gaze onto the floor.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Riley asked. Squall shrugged in response. "S'okay. I'm told I do enough talking for ten people."

_Hyne, what did I ever do to you?_ Squall thought to himself.

"What're you in for?" Riley asked.

"None of your business."

"Figured you'd say that." When Squall glanced up at him, Riley chuckled slightly. "Pretty much everyone I ask tells me that. You'd think I'd learn after a while, huh?

"Aw well. It doesn't matter." Riley shrugged and lay back so that his legs rested off the side of the bed. "That's okay. Suppose most people don't like talking about getting caught doing something wrong. I'm a little different though. I was set up. Maybe an innocent guy likes to ask more questions than people who did commit a crime."

Squall raised an eyebrow and Riley sat up slightly. "I can tell you're interested in hearing me out. Tell ya what. Tell me yours and I'll tell ya mine."

Squall's frown deepened. He figured that Riley really wanted to talk and that he wouldn't take the hint like everyone else and leave him alone. What was wrong with mentally brooding in peace anyway? Sure he didn't like to think a lot, but it was better than putting up with extroverted talkative morons. Sighing, he figured that if he answered this one question maybe, just maybe Riley would get bored of talking to him and go bother someone else. "Whatever."

This time, Riley sat back up. "Really? Didn't actually expect you to agree. Not too many people do in this place." Upon receiving a sour look from the teenager, Riley put his hands up in front of him in a defensive gesture. "Okay, okay. Wrong thing to say; I get it. So, what you in for?"

"Murder." Squall said simply.

Riley stared at him for a minute. "You don't look like the murdering type. Lemme guess… you're one of those quiet guys who snapped when someone came along and talked your ear off."

Squall stared at him for a second before Riley burst out laughing. "Kidding. I'm just yanking your chain. Relax and act your age. You're still in high school, right?"

The SeeD wasn't about to tell him his whole life's story, so he opted to simply agree with the estimation. "Just graduated actually."

"Guess you're a little older than I thought." Riley said. "Anyways, you were saying? Who'd you kill?"

"I didn't kill anyone."

Riley blinked in confusion. "But you said you were brought here for murder. That doesn't make any sense, unless…" he appeared thoughtful for a minute before suddenly staring at him. "You got set up too?"

When Squall nodded, Riley whistled. "Damn, sucks to be us, now doesn't it. Guess my estimation was wrong. You didn't wanna say anything and you didn't do anything."

"And you believe me." Squall deadpanned. Riley nodded in response.

"Sure do. No one believed me either, just so we're clear. I used to be in the military, until a group of friends that I knew decided that they wanted some extra cash. I didn't tag along or anything, but when I got to the shop, they just handed me a bag. Then the cops showed up, and I found out that the store manager'd been killed. They checked the bag I had and inside it was nearly two grand and a gun. They matched the bullet and arrested me soon after. Didn't report my friends 'coz I figured they'd needed the money for something. Didn't wanna get them in trouble."

"And now you're stuck here." Squall stated and Riley shrugged.

"They come and visit every week." Riley explained. "Always sayin' they're sorry about it and that they're definitely gonna make it up to me when my sentence is up. Just gotta wait for another year to go by before I get a chance for parole. Already served seven years as it is."

"What about the surveillance tapes?" Squall asked. "Wouldn't they have figured you were lying?"

"I'd already confessed." Riley said. "They decided they didn't need to look at them."

It sounded pretty stupid to Squall, but then he wondered exactly what he would have done had he been in the same position. He couldn't quite imagine any of his friends committing robbery and then letting him take the fall for it, though a mildly humorous mental picture of Irvine, Selphie and Zell wearing ski masks and holding up a bank almost had him crack a smile. Almost.

Suddenly, both Riley and Squall heard footsteps heading towards their vicinity and they exchanged glances. "Probably just a guard." Riley waved off. "Sometimes they come by and chat us up, but that's only if we run into the nice guys."

Squall nodded, though the footsteps themselves didn't sound like a guard leisurely making his rounds. It sounded almost as if the man in uniform was heading specifically towards something, as though he either had to search for something or was ordered to find someone. The footsteps got louder until he saw a shadow poking along the wall where he couldn't see the figure and finally the guard made his appearance, the familiar Estharian soldier uniform standing out against the dank grey of the cell.

The soldier stopped in front of the cell before finally speaking. "Leonhart, you've got a visitor."

Squall simply shrugged. He was trying not to get his hopes up by telling himself that it was probably someone else to interrogate him for the crime. He even tried to convince himself that it was because they hadn't obtained his statement yet, which could have been possible. Pulling himself off the bunk, he saw Riley stare up at him in shock. He didn't need to turn around to know that Butch and his friend had heard the soldier and were now staring at him. "Leonhart?" Riley asked after a moment. "As in the SeeD who saved all our asses? You told me you were in high school."

"You asked if I were in high school." Squall corrected as he moved towards the guard. "I told you I graduated. I never said yes or no to your question."

The guard replaced the handcuffs around the teenager's wrists before opening the cell and allowing him to step out, slamming the barred door shut behind him.

* * *

It hadn't taken Bobby more than ten minutes to get himself cleaned up and out of the house. The damned groceries could take a back seat for the moment; he had important business to take care. 

Checking his watch, he figured that he was making good time; it was only ten after eleven in the morning. He still had a good thirty minutes to make it to the shop, but he figured the sooner he arrived, the sooner they could get down to business.

After finishing getting himself ready, he had gone straight to the parking lot to unleash his hover-cycle – a birthday present from Jack – and had taken to the streets of Esthar like a man possessed. He had barely been on the road for fifteen minutes before he had gotten off the highway, returning to the side streets and keeping an eye on street signs in case he missed his turn.

Finally, he made the turn into the Eastern Sector and located the repair shop easily enough. It looked like a seedy place; the letter 'C' in Chip hanging off and looking as though it was ready to fall off in no time. Bobby ignored it – he'd been to enough seedy bars to be used to the outward appearance – and entered the shop.

Inside the shop were mostly display cases of items that had been turned to the owners of the shop since they were pretty much garbage. Bobby remembered knowing someone in the repair business – whatever was given to him because he couldn't' fix it got remade and redone and resold. He'd get all the profits and the original owner wouldn't be the wiser. The ironic thing was he had been busted on charges of tax fraud. The cops didn't even find out about what he was doing. The walls were plastered with pictures – probably a themed place – and the ceilings had some trippy looking light fixtures. He'd only seen them in magazines that were published outside of Esthar and figured that whoever owned them must have paid two arms, a leg and a torso for them.

"Can I help you?"

Bobby jumped in surprise – he hadn't thought anyone was there – and turned to the direction of the voice, finding an unshaven man wearing the Estharian robes standing behind the cash register. He stared at him wearily, as if expecting him to steal anything he could get his hands on.

Keeping his mind on business, Bobby shook his head. "I'm s'posed to meet someone here."

The expression on the man's face changed and he pressed a button underneath his shelf. At first, Bobby thought he'd been set up; that whoever had called him had sent him there to be the fall-guy of a drug charge. He couldn't go to jail knowing that the fucker who killed his brother was about to get off.

All he heard, however, was the click of the door locking behind him.

Thoroughly confused, Bobby scratched the back of his head as the man behind the register smiled at him. "You're early." He said suddenly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dale Wilkins."

"So where's Chip?" Bobby joked and the man's grin widened.

"Got done in when he tried to get me arrested." Dale stated in a tone that held no humour. Bobby's smile dropped almost immediately and he swallowed hard.

"Sorry. Didn't know."

"That's quite alright." Dale simply said. "No one does actually. The man's family has been looking for him for three weeks now."

Dale pulled up the side bar that prohibited customer access to the back room and gestured for Bobby to enter. "By all means, come on in."

Bobby tried very hard to make himself appear tougher than he felt, hoping that he would be able to intimidate this man the way he felt intimidated and walked through the opening, allowing Dale to lead him into the back room and hoping that he hadn't been set up for an ambush,

Dale pushed aside the beads that were in the doorway and as Bobby followed suit, began to speak. "You're brother worked for the government, right?"

Bobby was taken aback by the sudden question but once he found his voice he answered the question. "Yeah. He was an engineer. Set to retire in ten to fifteen."

"You two were very close, correct?"

Bobby didn't know if he liked Dale asking questions about Jack. Dale was a seedy type; looked like he might be involved in some deep illegal shit. When Bobby got clean he promised himself and Jack that he wouldn't meddle with people like him ever again, and now look where he was. "Yeah, we were. Behaviour wise but we had different moms. What's it to you?"

Dale simply smiled. "I'm just curious. I don't know how your brother died –"

"He fucking died because some asshole broke into the Residence last night and murdered him, that's how." Bobby could feel his blood boil at the memory but struggled to contain his temper.

Dale looked surprised for a moment. "You're brother was involved in that? Terribly sorry, I didn't realize. I thought that he might have been poisoned. Was he dirty?"

This was the second time Dale had caught Bobby off guard. "What?"

"I'm asking if he was taking bribes under the table and doing anything illegal." Dale clarified and the thought of someone accusing straight arrow Jack of committing a felony made Bobby sick. "Did he deal drugs? Lead a gang? Embezzle money, commit fraud that sort of thing."

"Why would that have anything to do with it?" Bobby asked through clenched teeth.

"Just trying to gage why it was your brother was targeted." Dale answered simply. "I want to understand who it is that I am dealing with here. I wouldn't want a backlash because I messed with the wrong person, now would I?"

Bobby couldn't believe this. This man had the balls to accuse Jack of criminal activity and then to say that he was too chickenshit to do anything about it if he had. He found himself feeling deep hatred for the man standing in front of him at the moment. People like him used people like Jack everyday just to make it big. Jack had busted his ass everyday for the kind of lifestyle he had, and now he wouldn't be able to enjoy the perks of retirement.

"Was he into prostitution?" Dale asked. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone, it's just that—"

By then, Bobby had heard enough. Grabbing Dale by the scruff of the robe, he hefted the man up and pinned him to the wall, glaring at him in the eye through a haze of red. "Jack was a good honest man!" He exclaimed. "He went to work, he did his part for his country and he put up with fucking losers like me his whole life! Even after he moved out he still put up with my shit, and what does he fucking get in return? He gets murdered because someone didn't like what he was working on; this fucking World Confederation shit that's been on the news for Hyne knows how fucking long! So don't you fucking insinuate that my brother was a bad guy, 'coz he wasn't! If anyone deserved to live then it was Jack!"

Bobby expected Dale to snap his fingers and for his goons to suddenly come out of nowhere and to beat him to a bloody pulp, but he didn't care. No one would ever get away with talking badly about his older brother. Not while he was still able to breathe.

Instead, Dale just started to chuckle, which made Bobby even angrier. "Something funny, bitch?"

"I must apologize." Dale said. "I was just gauging how far you would go to preserve your brother's memory. I apologize for tainting it as I have."

Bobby was so shocked that he released his grip on Dale's collar and allowed the man to fall onto the ground. Dale landed on his feet and appeared as though the entire exchange had never occurred. Bobby figured that Dale either had nerves of steal or he was fucking stupid.

"You see," Dale continued, unaware of Bobby's mental musings. "I get people who come here all the time, spouting how much they want to avenge their loved ones, be it friend, lover or significant other. But very few of those people are willing to go the extra mile to back up their words. You, Robert Anderson, have proven that you are not one of those pathetic has-beens"

"How do you know my name?" Bobby asked. He hadn't heard anyone say his full name since he lived with his father.

"I received information about you; from a man who said he had contacted you." Dale said. "Don't worry. I don't know much else than your name and your reasons for coming here. Since you have proven that you would do anything to avenge your brother's death, we can skip the pleasantries and cut to the chase. You are aware that what we are plotting is considered conspiring to commit murder, correct?"

Bobby wanted his brother's killer to fry, but he hadn't imagined that he would have to kill the guy himself. He'd done a lot of rotten things in his life, but not once had he actually murdered anyone, especially not in cold blood. But he knew that Jack was mercilessly killed by the fucker and that the murderer deserved no better than death. Nodding in answer to Dale's question, he allowed the other man to continue.

"Good. Then let's get down to business."

* * *

_**11:24:33

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**_

When she had arrived at the holding area of the Presidential Residence, she had been told that it would take a few minutes to retrieve the prisoner, and had given her a window of fifteen to thirty minutes. She figured that it was due to the fact that most prisoners tried to take the opportunity to escape while the guards were distracted, and while they were busy trying to stop them, the prisoner they were originally sent to bring in decided to use the distraction to his advantage. Christine wouldn't have been surprised if they had told her her assumptions were correct.

It had only been twenty minutes of waiting when the guards entered, presumably with the man she needed to question. But when she took a look at the prisoner, she couldn't help but be surprised at how young he looked. He barely appeared to be in his late teens, though she had her doubts that he was even that old. He had dark hair and light eyes, and a scar etched between them, crossing over the bridge of his nose. She would have been surprised about the scar, had she not read about it in his file. She had known that he had only just turned eighteen two months prior, but knowing something and actually seeing it for herself were apparently two different scenarios in this case. He looked less able to commit murder than a bird looked like it could swim.

He sat down across from her and the guard mentioned something about standing outside and waiting for them to be finished. She had kept her expression impassive, trying to mask her surprise and to begin with her assessment. Nodding her assent, the guards left them, the loud click of the door sliding shut behind them nearly echoing in the near silent room.

His hands were bound together by handcuffs, but judging by his demeanour and expression, he wasn't planning to do anything. Though she knew he was a SeeD, she wanted to have the assessment come across as a simple conversation; for her own nerves if not his. She didn't want to come across as interrogating a teenage boy and she had never thought of herself as a bully. So instead, she placed the manila folder she had brought with her aside and clasped her hands on top of the table in front of her.

Squall simply stared back at her.

"Well now," Christine said, finally finding her voice. "Let's get started, shall we?"

He didn't answer her and she took it as her cue to begin. "I've already read your file, so I won't recite to you details of which you already know of. I'd just like to ask you a few questions."

Again, he said nothing.

_This file has him pegged dead on_, Christine thought to herself. Never had she been around anyone who hadn't uttered a single word within five minutes of their meeting. The only exception she could think of was James, but she hadn't been assessing his mental capacity. "Do you mind telling me how you got that scar?" She asked.

"A training exercise." Was the answer.

_And so he speaks._ She continued to prevent her thoughts from showing before moving onto the next question. "And do you still harbour any ill will towards the person who gave you this scar?"

"I know why you're here."

Christine blinked. "Pardon?"

"You're here to assess my mental competency." Squall stated, as though she hadn't asked her question. "To see if I'm fit to stand trial. Am I wrong?"

Christine frowned slightly. She had heard that he was an intelligent individual, but being able to see through what it is she was doing as quickly as he had was very impressive. Finally, she managed to force herself to answer. "No. No you're not."

"You have some doubts about whether or not I wilfully killed those people." Squall continued and again she was caught off guard. "You think that I'm suffering from some kind of debilitating illness that has superseded my judgement, possibly for months on end, and you want to prove it by going through a mental assessment. Once again, am I wrong?"

It had only been five minutes, and yet she found herself intrigued by this man. He wasn't even in his twenties and he was able to read her like a book when most people had trouble thinking of the number she was thinking about. Sighing and shaking her head once again, Christine smiled. "You surprise me. I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly. And it's not because I think you're stupid either. Most individuals I speak with have a hard time reading my motives and they've known me for years now. I would tell you that I'm also here to obtain information about your whereabouts the night of the murders, but I'm guessing you figured that out already."

When Squall nodded, Christine found that she was no longer surprised. Opening her folder, she retrieved a note pad and a pen and set the paper in front of her, preparing to write. "So I'm guessing we should skip the guessing games and get right to it then."

* * *

After obtaining the directions to Balamb Garden, he had rented a car, showing the car rental workers false identification and began the thirty minute drive. Money wasn't a problem to him; due to pass transgressions, he'd achieved more than he could possibly spend in his entire lifetime, assuming he could call his life a life-time. 

Now he was busy keeping his eyes open in case one of the monsters on the continent suddenly grew enough balls to jump out in the middle of the road. Finally, he saw the structure he was heading towards and chose to ditch the car in favour of a ten minute hike to the building. He wouldn't want to set off any alarms just yet; he had a job to take care of. So he parked the car a little ways from the Garden and covered it up as best as he could with bushes and other underbrush that he could find, occasionally adding more or taking off some and checking to see if he would be able to recognize it from a distance. Finally, he was satisfied and started his trek, thankful he was wearing comfortable footwear for the journey.

After about nine minutes, he found himself standing outside of the front gate of Balamb Garden. A sense of something nearly overtook him, but he managed to shove it aside. They wouldn't have welcomed him even if he wasn't trying to commit B and E. Deciding that it would be a lot easier than trying to jump the front gate, he made his way towards the garage, and simply waited for the doors to open, careful to stay out of sight. His contact had said something about Balamb Town hiring SeeDs to regularly patrol the place, since they didn't want a repeat of the Galbadian incident that took place a little over four months prior.

Sincerely wishing that he could have brought his comrades with him, he forced himself to accept that it would be better this way. One person had better odds of getting in an out undetected than if said person had backup. And even if he was caught, he had orders to deal with that fiasco should it ever arise, however strange they may have been. Shrugging to himself, he watched as the garage door slide open, revealing the gold and green painted garden car leaving, heading towards town. Taking the opportunity to think how ugly the colours to the car were, he made his way inside before the doors could shut him out.

* * *

_**11:47:03

* * *

**_

Bobby found himself back on the road, on his way to the Prison sector of Esthar. Though he knew the killer was being held in the Residence, he knew there were other ways of making his way inside.

He recalled the details of the plan, knowing that it almost appeared to be too simple, but being grateful for it all the same. The simpler the operation was, the less likely someone would muck it up. He never did deal well with complicated themes anyway.

Pulling out his cellular phone (another present from Jack), he flipped the top open and accessed his pictures, all the while levelling out the bike and keeping an eye on the road. As he searched his phone's saved memory, he cut off a driver who had been about to make a right turn, and had the audacity to flip him off as the driver showed him his outrage by leaning on his car horn. Other than the obscene gesture, Bobby ignored it as he finally found what he was looking for.

It was the rare picture he kept saved on his phone at all times, and thinking back on it, he was grateful he had chosen to do so. There stood Jack at a New Year's party, wearing a party had and still dressed in his suit uniform (he hadn't worn the robes to work for ages since the United Confederation project had gotten started). He was smiling; as if he was having a good time. Bobby couldn't remember too clearly; he had let himself loose and had gotten drunk that night, though from both of their dispositions the following morning, Bobby could tell that Jack had done the same.

"Don't worry Jack," he whispered to the phone, even though he knew the man he was directing his thoughts to couldn't hear him. "I'll make your killer pay, and then you can finally rest in peace."

Slapping the phone off and stashing it into his pocket, Bobby continued down the road, wanting to give Jack an ending he so rightfully deserved.

* * *

Harold was rushing down the hall as his cellular phone rang, desperate to get out of earshot to answer the contraption in case it was his contact. He had been speaking to the Director, finding out that the President of Galbadia was sending the surveillance tapes to Dollet to look after. He had nearly been seething when he had discovered this; if they didn't come to Esthar than he couldn't destroy them and prevent the contents from ever coming to light. Though on the plus side, the Estharian government couldn't review them and then release their prisoner, admitting that they had been wrong. 

After a few minutes of rushing down the hallway, he finally arrived at his office and, after making sure the door was closed and locked behind him, pulled out a voice synthesiser and, attaching it to the phone, flipped the contraption open and called the number back. He hadn't been able to catch it in time and he given his contact specific instructions not to leave messages in his voice mail. He didn't even want to imagine what his wife would do if she found out what he was up to.

The phone rang twice before someone on the other end finally picked up. "Yes?"

"You caught me at a bad time." Harold said, keeping his temper in check. He couldn't afford to lose his cool so far into the game. "I was speaking to the Director of the Cabinet. This had better be good news."

"Ah, but it is." The man on the other end said. "He has taken to the bait. He is so obsessed with avenging his brother that he hasn't even realized we're setting him up."

"Excellent." Harold said. "Anderson's little brother will definitely serve our purposes. Have you made sure that all the loose ends have been taken care of?"

"But of course." The man said. "The shop I met him in is being stripped of anything indicating that 'Chip and Dale's Repair Shop' ever even existed. He seem crazy when he tells the authorities where he got his information from."

"And that way, it can't get back to me." Harold said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Very well. You've done well and the order will reward you handsomely for this."

"And I look forward to it." Dale said.

Harold hung up the phone and, for the first time since he began this alternative plot, he smiled.

* * *

**The Time is now 12 p.m.**

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_I know nothing spactacular happened in this chapter, and I'm sorry if it came across as boring, but the next chapter will pick up. Once again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates for the past four and a half months._


	11. 11th Hour

_Okay, I know I said that this chapter was going to be back to the normal length I'm used to putting out for this story, but I just couldn't extend it any further than this. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it all the same._

_Also, there are a couple of words in German near the end of the chapter. They're supposed to be racial slurs and, whild I am against Racism, I know it's bound to crop up whever you go. Also, it's because I'm having the Adelist's speak German, remeniscent to the Nazi's, but it doesn't mean I don't like the language or the country. Though I'm not a native speaker, and have never been to the country, I'm part German myself. The reason I chose the language was simply because I kind of envisioned it myself. Feel free to give me your own opinions. _

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* * *

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**The Following takes place between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.**

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* * *

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As she was being checked out of the visitors section of the holding station, Christine couldn't help but look back, somehow expecting a barrage of soldiers to appear; a prison break having been orchestrated by none other than the SeeD she had just been speaking with. Instead, she was greeted by a rather normal sight; the guards stationed just outside of the exit doors were at attention and one of them nodded to her in silent farewell. Sighing and mentally chastising herself, she turned back around and continued on her way, back towards her office.

It wasn't that she didn't believe him; in fact, many times during their talk, he had nearly convinced her of his innocence. But it was the way he had answered all of her questions – no expression ever passed across his features that would give away what he was thinking; his voice devoid of anything that would give himself or his motives away. It had felt as though she had been talking to a computer; a program that had been designed specifically for eluding and evading psychological questions. Each and every time she had tried to analyze him mentally, he would put up some kind of a mental barrier and steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.

She had analyzed many patients before; both willing and unwilling to cooperate, but never had she had this much trouble.

She recalled the ending of their conversation; just when she had managed to scrap together information that would serve both purposes of her visit. He had turned to her and told her that she was the kind of person who wanted to gage reactions and responses in order to perceive their personal views; to see things in their perspective, but that she also wanted to accomplish her goals and tasks set to her through simple textbook examples. In her shock, he had followed up, telling her that her profession did not approve of relating to a patient, of which they say as a logistical error. He had then told her point blank that even in life she could concentrate on one or the other in order to get by.

_Throughout the meeting, not only was he keeping himself closed off while answering questions pertaining to the statement, but he was analyzing me as well._ Christine though in her daze as she rounded the corner. _Not even the best profilers could possibly do it _that _well._

Even so, from what little she received from her psychological analyzes, she was almost certain that he was innocent; that he hadn't come all the way to Esthar in any kind of vehicle, kill the workers in the Presidential Residence and return to Deling in order to orchestrate a mission of importance to the Galbadian Government. However, she was also very certain that he should never have been eligible to train as a SeeD, no matter how good at the job he was.

_Actually, the fact that he's _this _good at what he does is a bit disconcerting._ Christine amended.

Adding her current findings to what she had gathered from his childhood, Christine was confident that turning such a troubled and withdrawn child into a mercenary for hire was just asking for trouble. Though true that he had protected the world from a Sorceress hell-bent on destroying it, it was a fact that, eventually, he would eventually melt down and fall victim to any of the corresponding mental disturbances she had ever run into; that is if he hadn't already.

Getting her mind back on track, she thought over the information she had received through the questioning and found that a lot of it did make sense. First, there was the distance between Galbadia and Esthar; not even an Estharian aircraft would have been capable of flying him around the world in less than an hour. He would have had to have possessed gravitational temporal power in order to get from point A to point B within the timeframe.

There was also the speculation of the late-night guard's identifying the suspect. According to security reports, Mack Daniels had been one-hundred percent positive that the man he had allowed through the front gate had been Squall Leonhart, and that the guard had believed the SeeD to be there on business with the President. From what she knew, Squall was slightly shorter than average height, but he had a specific build about himself – probably from training at the Garden – so it would be difficult for someone to impersonate him. Adding the relativity of the night, as well as the info-red goggles the soldiers wore, and it was possible that the ID could have been mistaken – after all, the goggles only shaded the figure into a green blur.

But there was also the voice of the user – the initial cause of the ID. Everyone's voices are controlled by the vibrations that are caused by the vocal cords in a person's throat. Though the effect is the same, the range, tone and sound of the voice are always different, making that person's voice unique. Though true that a voice synthesiser of Esthar's make could mask the user's true voice, and that it was easily obtainable, it could never mask it with one-hundred percent accuracy and their real voice would leak out as a mechanic undertone.

Shaking her head, she chose to debate those thoughts while she wrote her report, allowing her mind to travel towards everything she had learned when studying Psychology. People possessing narcotic tendencies were able to act as though they were normal like the rest of society, allowing them to blend in and making it very difficult to find them. The thought of the eighteen-year-old of whom she had just finished speaking with being able to lie to her as casually and easily as he might have made her skin crawl. The fact that there were actually people out there had made her want to become a psychiatrist in the first place.

_His file does indicate pathological tendencies, so it is possible that he could have just made the story up._ Christine thought as she entered the elevator that would take her to the floor she wanted. _I need to think on both sides; I can't afford to be partial here. _

It was a feasible concept –Leonhart could have arrived in Esthar early enough; committed the murder and headed back to Deling City in order to cover his tracks. He could have convinced his comrades that he had been there the entire night, or even to lie about his whereabouts – making then accessories – but the Estharians could have caught up to him before he could turn out the rest of his plan. After all, the SeeD did run at first.

_But then why would he have returned to the Estharians after making the effort to run away?_ She questioned, trying to get into a defence attorney's head. _Because he wanted to make it look as though he were innocent; that he had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks. He knew his comrades would tell the authorities that he had been with them during the time of the murder; and if it were recorded that he cooperated with the Estharian authorities, it would make it harder for a jury to want to convict._

The elevator dinged and she left the mechanical box, on her way to her office, even as she continued the jargon in her head. _Not to mention it would make the original escape seem invalid – he hadn't known why he was being arrested and felt as though he were being attacked._

Then again, it was all hearsay. She would have to testify, of course, which meant leaving for Dollet and staying there for the duration, which also meant having to tell her clients that she would be away. Even though she had to be impartial as a member of the Estharian Cabinet, that didn't mean she would have to act according to that fact while being cross-examined. She would, after all, be under oath to tell the truth, and her true opinion was inching closer and closer to believing that Squall Leonhart was innocent.

_This is getting me thinking too much…_ she thought to herself. _Just concentrate on returning to your office and getting that report done.

* * *

_

Douglas O'Ryan was just heading towards the front desk, preparing to sign himself in. He was tall and well built, keeping in shape for his occupation, and possessed greying dark hair fashioned into a crew cut. He hadn't shaved that morning, afraid that he would have been late for work, so stubble marked his features. It itched like hell, but he couldn't be bothered to really care at that moment.

His features always set into a darkened frown, most of the guards who passed him by did so very quickly, aware of his fragile temper. O'Ryan had been a member of the Estharian Prison Unit for a total of forty years now; his time occurring both before and after the Sorceress War twenty years prior. Before Adel was thrown from power, had anyone asked him about his job, there would have been nothing but good things for him to say and there would have been no hesitation in his response.

_And now look at me,_ he thought to himself bitterly. _I'm stuck babysitting a bunch of holding-cell rejects. _

Before the end of Adel's reign, O'Ryan had been the Warden of the Highest Security Level Prison in the Country, but when she was booted out and a new President had been elected into office, people were suddenly being shuffled out of their jobs – all for some of the tiniest violations of the twisted new regulations set in place. Most of the people who were either demoted or were forcibly retired had been people O'Ryan had worked along side of for years and had even respected and it wasn't soon afterwards when he too joined the long line of demotes.

_The President's too much of a softy for his own Hyne-Damned good._ His eyes narrowed as his thoughts began to turn dark. He didn't believe than any of the morons who had ended up behind these bars had any rights whatsoever – hell, the forfeited them when they broke the law – but now that it was illegal to beat on a prisoner, he couldn't vent his frustrations towards them, and they had begun to get way mouthier over the last two decades. What pissed him off the most was the fact that the prisoners who were serving their time during Adel's reign had been set free almost immediately afterwards for lack of evidence towards their crimes. The ones who had died before that time were suddenly being honoured as heroes for their cause.

In O'Ryan's very pointed opinion, the system had failed when the Resistance had messed everything up. Now the remaining believing members of the old regime were reduced to meeting in private, undisclosed locations – the damned Estharians couldn't arrest them for worshiping the true leader of Esthar, but most of Adel's loyal followers had already been put away for conspiring against the current President – not like he didn't deserve it for what he'd done to Esthar already.

"Stupid blow heart," he found himself muttering. "Esthar, the strongest and most powerful country in the world with an army that could take out millions of its enemies, reduced to hiding from our Galbadian enemies for the last seventeen years."

The Adelists had taken it as a personal blow to their already dampened pride when their Intel reported on the President's plan to suddenly disappear, but when they discovered that the Government had hired SeeD to finish off Esthar's real leader while she was merely recovering from being in stasis for so damned long, they had become rightfully angry. The fact that they had succeeded only made them angrier.

But even as he was sinking ever deeper into his hate-filled thoughts, his cellular phone rang. Picking it up out of habit, he checked the number, figuring that it was probably just his wife checking in on him – nowadays she was always complaining about their lack of time together – but even as he was moving to ignore it, he recognized the number as a close friend of his. Choosing to answer immediately, he flipped the phone open and placed the earpiece to his ear. "Yes?" he asked simply.

There was silence as he continued towards the front desk, and O'Ryan's voice filled it up once again after a few seconds. "Of course I'll let him in. For a new inmate, you said? Okay. I'll personally escort him into the building myself. Of course it'll be discreet. I'll call you when he's arrived."

O'Ryan hung up the phone in slightly better spirits than before. There was even a little spring to his step as he made his way towards the front desk. So some punk had gotten himself arrested and was going to be taken out by a friend of a friend? The thought that he would be involved made it seem even more surreal. Nevertheless, he was willing to do something in order to help his comrades. Hell, if it struck a cord with the President, it would make him even happier.

Quickly grabbing his punch-card, he shoved it into the mechanical machine before turning to look at the man at the front desk, his small smile fading slightly. Robbie Higgins was one of the morons that had been chosen to be hired – one of the happy-go-lucky chumps he was forced to work with. He was one of the scrawnier chumps he had to work with; short dark hair combed back to look professional and his uniform immaculate and tidy. He looked like a fucking reporter for fuck sakes.

Given any day of the week, he would have punched his fucking teeth down his throat if his actions weren't under threat of him being fired and charged with assault – but it sure would make him feel better.

Instead, he plastered a fake smile to his face, knowing he had to play nice with the chumps. One demotion was bad enough after all.

"So what's new, Robbie?" he asked in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice. Made him want to gag – thinking on what he was doing now.

"You don't watch the news, do you?" Higgins asked, looking up at him with trust in his eyes. In O'Ryan's opinion, trust was for people who were willing to throw their lives to the wolves. "There's a new inmate coming into this cellblock. He's here for holding till preparations for his trial in Dollet are set up."

"'Course I watch the news." O'Ryan said. "And that sounds an awful like the killer that got those guys in the Residence this morning."

"You guessed it." Higgins said, nodding. "Apparently, it's one of the SeeDs who took out Adel and the Sorceress in the future."

This bit of news caught O'Ryan off guard and he stopped in his tracks, even as Robbie continued. "He's been questioned and everything. All we have to do is hold him here till the officials in Dollet are ready for him to be sent there."

Swivelling back around, O'Ryan moved back over to the desk, wondering if his birthday had come early this year. "Which one is it?" He asked. He already knew it was a boy, and according to rumours, there had been three of them on the team, and out of them, only two of them were SeeD.

"Think it was Leonhart. The one who led the charge."

O'Ryan's grin widened and he didn't even bother to thank Higgins' for making his day. He made his way immediately towards the change rooms in order to get changed for work. The person being let in – he was there in order to take the little punk out – the one responsible for Adel's death – the one who fucked up every contingency plan the Adelists had ever thought up in the event that Adel was to return to them.

The fact that he was part of it no longer seemed surreal. It was like a dream come true.

Opening his cell phone, he dialled a specific number. He had a role to play in this now – one that was worth more than what that soft Government was paying him – and he wanted to do it right.

* * *

_**12:16:03

* * *

**_

The employee's cafeteria, though not nearly as extravagant as many of the dinning establishments in Esthar, was fancier than anywhere else in the planet. There was an ovular ceiling overhead, as well as a second and third floor seating level where anyone was allowed to be seated, with just as many levels of service stations. Many of the occupants who were currently indulging on their food while continuing work for something due by the end of the day were talking amidst co-workers, hoping that their formulas, calculations and speeches were all in order. But for one group sectioned off and away to the side of all the commotion, routine couldn't have been any further from their minds.

The President had suggested that they wait in the cafeteria rather than outside of his office in a crowd, while he figured out what he was going to do about their current situation. No one was really in the mood for any food, though Zell had managed to wolf down about half a dozen hotdogs already and was in the process of making that number higher. Quistis still couldn't believe Esthar actually sold them there.

The former Instructor thought about the present situation while the others were rambling on about the injustice of the circumstances. During a mission in Deling City, Squall was wrongfully accused of and arrested for the murder of five Estharian citizens in the midst of working inside of the Presidential Residence. She was fairly certain that he hadn't even known the reason for his arrest until after arriving in the technologically advanced city, but now preparations were being made for a trail in Dollet – one that, by all rights, should not even be taking place.

She had thought about this ever since she had learned what had happened, and thought about it more thoroughly each and every time they were presented with updates. From what she could tell so far, very little of the whole thing made any sense whatsoever. The Estharians weren't stupid; they should have realized by now that for Squall to make it from one end of the world to the other in less than an hour's time was ludicrous, and that the only logical explanation for it all was that he had been framed from the beginning.

_Of course they'd have realized it by now if they hadn't held him up like some kind of superhero._ Quistis thought bitterly.

Ever since the end of the Ultimecia War, everyone who had participated in Ultimecia's assassination had been held up on some sort of golden pedestal – Squall especially, since he had led the charge. Since he was socially dysfunctional as it was (the only reason he had ever gone to the Graduation party at Garden was because he was ordered to), it was the worst kind of fate the teenager could have possibly received.

"Those fuckers better not try anything." Zell was saying, in-between shovelling hotdogs into his mouth. Quistis idly wondered if he actually knew what they were made of as she tuned back into the conversation at hand. "Squall's only co-operating with them 'cuz he doesn't wanna be the cause of a war."

"But it still sucks." Irvine agreed. "Here they are, pulling all the stops to get 'im convicted, and Squall can't do a damned thing about it without looking like he's got something ta hide."

"Can't they realize he's being framed?" Selphie piped up. "Obviously, he couldn't have been in two places at once; not without having a twin he hasn't told us about."

"Two Squalls…" Irvine trailed off, his expression shifting into a thoughtful one before shaking his head. "Nope. Can't see it."

"The Estharians are going to see this situation the way they want to see it, no matter what we think." Quistis finally chose to interject. "Even if he's innocent, the Estharians don't want to admit that they're wrong. They want someone to blame. The murderer was able to sneak past security undetected, kill those people and then escape while the Estharians simply looked like they were sitting on their hands the entire time and they're furious about it. They want the salvage their reputation by pointing the finger at SeeD, basically saying that we're the only ones capable of getting in and out of the building that effectively. Unfortunately, Squall was chosen to be their scapegoat and there isn't anything we can do to stop them from making him appear guilty enough to convict."

Sighing, Quistis frowned thoughtfully, knowing that her words had done nothing but make them feel worse. "It still doesn't help that he's _let_ them arrest him and treat him this way."

"We can talk to him about that when we go visit him."

Everyone swivelled around in heir seats and noticed both Cid and Edea approaching them from the entrance to the cafeteria. When they were merely a few feet away, Quistis, Selphie and Zell rose to their feet and saluted the headmaster, while Irvine simply tipped his hat forward in silent greeting.

Cid shook his head and chuckled. "There's no real need for formalities here, under the circumstances."

His previous words suddenly came running back into Quistis' mind, but before she could string a sentence together, Rinoa, who had been silent up until this point, beat her to it. "What did you just say?"

Cid chuckled once again, and Edea smiled as she answered for him. "Laguna was able to pull some strings. We will be able to see and speak to Squall once the Director of the Cabinet receives a report from the questioning process."

"Well," Cid interjected. "That's putting it lightly. In reality, Laguna threatened to have the Cabinet disbanded and reordered if they didn't allow him this request."

Selphie giggled. "That's actually not so hard to imagine."

'How long will we have to wait?" Rinoa asked, steering the conversation back on track.

"They have already gathered the necessary information in order to write the report, so we probably do not have much more time to wait."

"Though I did overhear something about a psychiatrist doing the questioning." Cid continued when his wife stopped. "Laguna wasn't overly pleased to hear that."

Zell choked on the hotdog he had just taken a bite out of and began to cough violently. Selphie slapped him on the back a couple of times, and he was able to swallow the article of food before speaking again. "You're kidding, right? Someone attempted to actually get into Squall's head?" he slammed his fist onto the table and laughed. "Five gil says they failed. Miserably."

"No way." Irvine shook his head, though he too was grinning. "I'm not falling for that trap, Zell."

"Either way, I betcha he's not too happy about it." Selphie commented before her face suddenly brightened dramatically. "Hey…maybe we can plan something to cheer him up!"

"Nothing short of being cleared will cheer him up, Selphie." Zell snorted.

"And the Estharians aren't exactly in the mood to listen to us." Quistis added.

"And busting him out'll only piss him off." Irvine stated when Selphie was about to say something. "He's determined to wait 'til he's been cleared; he pretty much said so to Rinoa."

Zell snorted again, and the others turned to look at him. "And even if we tried, he'd be all like 'Put that wall back where it was before; I'm not leaving', or something like that."

"And if any of us argued?" Selphie asked enthusiastically, already knowing the answer.

Quistis couldn't help herself; her friends' good mood was beginning to get to her. "Simple…"

It was at this point that everyone sitting at the table joined in nearly the exact same time as she continued with her response.

"Whatever."

Immediately afterwards, everyone erupted into fits of laughter. Zell nearly fell out of his chair, holding onto his stomach and Selphie allowed her body to collapse onto the table, her eyes clenched shut as she giggled insanely.

"That's not very nice, you guys." Rinoa sputtered, even as she struggled to regain her composure. This made everyone laugh even louder, considering she too had joined in.

"I'm glad to see you all in better spirits." Cid commented through the laughter. "Despite the circumstances, I don't think Squall would want you to be feeling sorry for him."

"Though he does not like to be teased, he would find some comfort in knowing you are not suffering through his decision." Edea said. "Though I will be speaking to him about his choice of actions. Really, and I thought I had raised him better than that."

"Don't forget," Cid remarked with a grin. "he still has to be punished for disobeying an order."

"I don't know which one's worse," Selphie laughed as they watched Edea and Cid leaving the cafeteria. "Being in jail for a crime you didn't commit, or having to face Matron for something you did do."

"Gimme a sec…" Zell said, clutching his head in mock agony. "That's a tough one!"

* * *

Having parked the hoverbike in the parking lot, Bobby made his way through the entrance of the holding area, thinking back to when he had been there during his youth. He remembered the layout fairly well; the lot where the prisoners were allowed one hour of outdoor activity a day was sectioned off to the east of where he presently was, and the cellblocks were further west of the lot; the guards afraid that they would attempt to escape via the yard in the middle of the night. Bobby always thought it hilarious that they'd forget the simple fact that there were twenty feet tall walls barring them from the outside world, not to mention the dozen or so guards regularly patrolling the area in case something happened. 

_Looks like nothin's changed since I was last here,_ he thought to himself as he continued down the halls. He couldn't be sure whether or not the design to this specific area had changed or not, since he had never once been a visitor to the prisons.

_Look at me now, waltzing in here like a man with a clean record. _

Bobby found it especially ironic that he was freely entering the prison establishment. Anytime prior to the present he had always been wearing a set of handcuffs on his wrists, but no one even spared him a glance as he made his way deeper into the station.

He shook his head, willing the thoughts of his past out of his mind. The only thing that mattered to him was taking out his brother's killer, and allowing the man to rest in peace. He summoned his brother's image to the forefront of his mind, but the surprise of his being there wasn't so easily abated.

"That stuff's in the past now," Bobby reminded himself under his breath – somehow hoping that hearing the words rather than thinking them would make them sink in. "All that matters is letting Jack's memory rest."

"Anderson, right?

Jumping slightly at the sudden sound, Bobby stopped in his tracks, whirling around to face the direction the voice had come from, his eyes narrowing when he recognized the uniform of a standard prison guard. He had no love for the uniform or the memories that came with it; back during the Adelist regime, he'd get beaten and spat on just 'cuz the fuckers felt like it. He still had the scars from that kind of torture, mostly emotional but the physical ones were only finally just starting to disappear.

From the looks of the man who'd called him by his last name (_who's this fucker and how'd he know my name_, Bobby wondered mentally), he could've easily been Jack's age, if not a little older. He had a crew cut like the army guys he'd seen in movies and TV, greying dark hair and his uniform was neat and tidy – just like Jack's dress uniforms for work.

A moment passed between the pair before Bobby finally said something. "Who wants to know?"

"Dale sent you, right?" The guard asked and Bobby felt a tremor run through him, just at the sound of the crazy fucker's name. "I'm here to help you get your justice."

Regaining his composure, Bobby removed any impression of his surprise and trepidation from his facial expression. It was a trait he'd learned to perfect in high school, and it'd helped him lie his way out of trouble, for the most part. "Colour-coat it all you want," he snapped. "But I got no illusions of what I'm doing. It's called revenge."

The guard's grin widened, apparently pleased with what he had heard. "Alright then. You're the boss. I take it that Dale to you what was up?"

Bobby recalled the conversation and nodded in response. "Yeah. Said to come here and you'd fill me in on the finer details. Also said something 'bout a distraction."

"Great." The guard nodded to himself. "Then let's not beat around the bush." He gestured for Bobby to start walking and they continued to travel deeper into the prison establishment. "This prison's got about five different cellblocks. Block A, B, C –"

"Been here before." Bobby said. "I know the layout. Just get to the point."

If the guard'd been surprised by the admission, he sure as hell wasn't showing it. "Each cell block receives on hour of outdoor activity throughout the day. First it's A, then B, then so on and so on."

Bobby was beginning to grow impatient. He knew all of this already, but the shitter was acting as though he hadn't heard him say anything. Still, he chose not to interrupt this time and hoped the bastard got to the part of the plan he actually wanted to hear about. "The guy you're lookin' for is in cell block D, meaning he'll be going outside with the rest of 'em real soon. During that time, one of our guys – he's got a sniper scope located at the Northern-East wall of the yard – he's been filled in on what he has to do."

Bobby's frown deepened. "I thought _I_ was gonna be the one to take him out."

"Relax, I'm not done yet." The guard said, appearing not to really care that he had been interrupted once again. "The target isn't your brother's killer; it's another worm we gotta shut up. We can off him anytime though; not like he's going anywhere anytime soon.

"Anyway, our guy's gonna take a shot and try to clip him. Not kill him, but hurt him pretty bad. One shot's all it's gonna take; the prisoners'll hear the shot and assume the guards'll be busy trying to catch the sniper. They'll try to escape. When that happens, we send you to where we _know_ your target is headed and you get to do whatever the hell you want to him. It's your call."

He thought about it for only a second before nodding his consent. It sounded simple enough, but not so simple that it seemed half-baked: more like it'd work without a hitch, so long as everyone played their part. Then again, even if it'd sounded like garbage he wouldn't done it; anything to get back at the fucker. "I'm in. When does this thing go down?"

"Half-passed one this afternoon." The guard said. "That's when D-Block gets their time outside." He took a moment to check his watch before speaking again. "It's about twenty-five to one now, meaning plenty of time to get prepared. Though I gotta warn you 'bout somethin'."

The guard stopped walking, and looked both ways as though to make sure no one was listening in. Bobby stopped walking to and folded his arms across his chest, wondering what it was the guard needed to warn him about. When the guard was satisfied, he turned back to look at Bobby. "The guy you're after's a crafty sonovabitch. He'll try to talk his way outta you shooting him. Tell you he's been framed; someone set him up. You know, that sorta thing."

"I'm not gonna fall for that piece of shit story." Bobby stated, annoyed that he'd be seen as so gullible. "Ain't stupid enough to fall for that. He pays and he pays now. What's he look like?"

"Short dark hair, blue-grey eyes." The guard said without missing a beat. "Not very tall either; just taller than five and a half feet. He'll be wearing the same uniform as everyone else."

"Sounds like every fucker I've run into." Bobby started, but the guard raised a hand, signalling that he wasn't finished yet.

"Though the most telling sign that it's him," he said, pointing an index finger at the left side of his own forehead. "is the scar that runs from here," he traced an invisible line to just underneath his right eye. "to here. You can't possibly miss it; kinda stands out."

Bobby wondered for a second what kind of knife fight the punk'd gotten himself into before all this before mentally shrugging it off. He didn't give a rat's ass about what the fucker did before he'd killed Jack. The only thing he cared about was that he'd murdered his straight-arrow brother, and now he was going to pay.

"Just do your part right," The guard was saying. "and revenge'll be all yours."

_You don't have to worry about me,_ Bobby thought to himself, but offered the guard a curt nod anyway. Jack had done everything he could to help Bobby when he had been in trouble, and it was high-time Bobby paid him back with interest.

* * *

_**12:39:45

* * *

**_

She leaned back in her chair, her left arm folded with her right hand resting over her mouth, the index finger tapping thoughtfully onto the side of her face. Positioned directly in front of her was a computer monitor, the screen riddled with Estharian scrawl; the basis of her written report.

Scowling at his own monitor, the man watching turned away before glancing back at another picture screen; this of the halls of the Estharian Residence. He had had his informants add a sort of spy-camera – an experimental micro lens that could take in every single detail of the room it was photographing even better than the spherical security cameras the Estharians currently used. Though it was still experimental, one wouldn't have thought so as they watched the multitude of surveillance data that this man did.

_Seems as though Cobatchi has done it again …_ the man thought to himself.

Three months of hard work and Cobatchi had proven to be a great asset to the cause. It had been his selection of the team Deft-Strike, and because of their utter success it had been worked out that the man was brilliant – a genius actually. So far it was proving beneficial, but all the same he wanted to keep an eye on the man, lest he become too ambitious. All that mattered was the cause, and if your own subordinates weren't loyal to you than there really was no point in taking any action, unless to ensure it yourself.

Still, Deft-Strike had proven to have been a complete success and for that he was grateful. Because of the operation that had taken place two months prior, they held the keys to pretty much any kind of Intel, be it so little or so huge. With this, he was able to keep tabs on the men and women responsible for the destruction of the Adelists reign, and plan accordingly.

_Though the little addition to the plan nearly cost us a major set back…_

Frowning thoughtfully, he pressed the button located on the dashboard positioned atop a fine-oak desk and the holographic image of a young woman with red hair – half of it obscuring her vision – saluting him. He nodded and she was set to ease. "Progress report." He stated simply. Though it wasn't a necessity since he, after all, possessed a front row seat to everything that had happened thus far, he found it better to allow his subordinates fall into the same procedures as they had previously been in. _After all,_ he surmised. _T'is_ _better to be safe than to be sorry._

"Sir," the woman stated evenly, removing herself from her attentive stance. "Anderson has made it to the prison holding sector of the Presidential Residence. They plan to initiate operation Code-Strike at approximately thirteen thirty. One of the Prison guards – O'Ryan – has briefed him of the minor details, sir."  
"Not too much I hope." He said and the woman shook her head.

"Negative. Everything is moving according to plan."

"Excellent. See to it that it continues that way."

Before the woman could respond, however, another holographic image moved her icon more towards the left, the visual of a guard looking mildly panicked… or was that exasperation. "What is it, Cromell?"

"Sir, the prisoner has managed to escape again." He said, trying to keep his annoyance out of his voice, but failing, even as the woman's image disappeared from view – her report already given.

The man in likeness to his soldier sighed. Ever since Deft-Strike, their prisoner was choosing to be more and more resourceful as the days went by. Already she managed to break down two of her chambers, and very nearly rerouted their automated security grid. They'd had to change it so the attempt wouldn't repeat itself, but they'd managed to subdue her anyway.

"How annoying…" he muttered under his breath before finally making a decision. "Subdue her again – this time with tranquilizers, and you know the consequences of harming her in any way."

Nodding solemnly, the soldier saluted before his visual disappeared as he turned his attention towards the monitor, watching the holding cell block where the framed man was sitting inside of a prison cell. He hoped that he wasn't making a mistake with this new addition, but if it was as well thought out and executed as he hoped it would be, then it would prove to add a valuable marker to his team's goals.

* * *

Harold made sure that his office door was closed and secure before making his way down the hallway, heading towards the conference chambers. From what he had heard from the Director a mere few minutes before, Lockhart had just finished with her report and was in the process of proof-reading it before presenting it to the council. Scoffing under his breath, he quickened his pace at the mere reminder. Lockhart wasn't stupid – after questioning the SeeD, she'd have probably set a means of proving his innocence, which would be bad for the cause. However, once her mind was made up about something, nothing could sway it without evidence, so there was a slight chance that she didn't believe the boy at all. Even slight chances were better to work with than no chance at all. 

Sighing to himself, he reminded himself that his duty was for the cause, and that it was the only thing that mattered now. Life had been so much more easy – so much more comfortable back when Adel was around. Those who were close to her side – forever loyal to her whims and wishes – were rewarded with complete amnesty and wealth, while those forever struggling to change were crushed like the accursed ants they were. If Odine had been as loyal to the regime as he had always claimed to be, then Loire and the useless Resistance wouldn't have ousted the grand ruler and she would still have been alive.

_But all of that will change soon enough,_Harold thought to himself. _The President is already beginning to pay for that, and it won't be very much longer until the followers of the regime take back what was so wrongly stolen from us._

He assured himself that they would first pay through their loved ones before finally paying through their own blood. Had it not been for the uplink one of their men – unfortunate how he died during the Lunar Cry – had set up in the make-shift office the President had been using, they would not have known that the SeeD they were currently framing was a relative to the man who had snatched away their dreams. They had not even realized the man had had such close connections other than the giant silent brute and the lanky Drecksau that always hung around him (he couldn't believe the Schweinehund actually got a high-ranking position in the Residence). That was when Deft-Strike had been put into effect and, for all those who were for the cause, the plan had been successful, but this time around, it didn't look as though things were going according to plan, what with the SeeD's surrender.

Sighing once again as he continued towards the conference room, he hoped that his contacts would make sure that things got back on track.

**

* * *

**

The Time is now 1 p.m.

* * *


	12. 12th Hour

_I know that this is, once again, a relatively short chapter, but hopefully it's done its job by keeping your attention. It took me a little while to actually compile the chapter, simply because I've been working. Also, one of my friends is coming to town for the weekend, so I'm going to be a little busy. The next chapter should be much longer than this and, as the plot thickens, don't forget to bring the popcorn. I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless of it's length._

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* * *

**

**The Following takes place between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.**

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* * *

**

It was five in the morning and Xu was tapping her foot irritably on the floor of the elevator she was riding inside of. Her arms were folded across her chest, the sleeves of the uniform she wore irritating her for no apparent reason as she stared straight ahead, her purplish-brown eyes glaring at the glass door as if it shouldn't even exist. Her fingers tapped irritably against the material of her sleeve in the same tone as her foot, but she barely gave it any notice as the elevator finally reached it's destination. The doors had barely opened when the veteran SeeD moved from the contraption and entered the bridge of the third floor, moving towards the Commander's office. She had been on her way to her quarters for the night, but something of urgency had forced her to come back and, though she'd rather discuss the matter with the Headmaster, he was currently in Esthar.

She didn't even bother to knock on the door, instead merely walking through it in time to see Commander Greenwood packing his things for the night.

_Good,_ she thought to herself. _I haven't missed him._

Before the Commander could say anything, she placed a portable radio on top of his desk. "I found some cadets breaking curfew tonight, and they were listening to this."

Donning a confused facial expression, Conrad flicked the contraption on and the former silent room was filled with a reporter speaking in standard Estharian. Conrad's expression said it all, and Xu once again interrupted him. "This is what it normally sounds like, but one of the cadets had this attached to it."

She held up a small attachment – what would look like an ordinary metal plate to cover one side of the radio. "When I asked her about it, she said her aunt had gone to Esthar two months ago and had brought that back with her as a souvenir; that it converts Estharian to standard Common. It's supposed to be handy when you need something to translate."

She attached the piece onto the radio and instantly, the Estharian speech changed to that of the common language.

"… that the reports of the homicide that took place earlier this morning at the Presidential Residence, located just within the center of the country's capital, have been confirmed with the arrest of a SeeD, who is being charged with the crime…"

"Oh no…" Conrad breathed, even as the reporter droned on. "How many of them know?"

"Only a few presently." Xu shrugged. "I sent them to the disciplinary room for breaking curfew, but who knows how long I can hold them there. And the students who already have been scheduled to the room for already existing punishments will overhear the news, and they'll tell their friends, who'll tell their friends, and so on." Shaking her head, the brunette sighed. "By noon, everyone in Balamb Garden'll be in an uproar, and it's possible that the other Gardens won't be too far behind."

Conrad cursed softly and Xu understood why. The Headmaster had entrusted them to keep a lid on the situation until they could get it all sorted out, but it looked as though things weren't going to happen that way. If they continued to hide the facts from the cadets and remaining SeeDs, there would be inner turmoil; no one would listen to reason and would probably cause a revolt, which in turn would make the situation even worse.

Conrad seemed to be thinking on the same lines, since his words broke her out of her musings. "We have to tell them. I know we were ordered not to, but it would be better if we explained everything rather than have the remainder of Garden jumping to conclusions."

"They're going to want to do something when they find out that it's Squall they've arrested." Xu said, and momentarily regretted it as she saw something flash across Conrad's face. Was it bitterness? She couldn't be sure, since it disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced, and she made a mental note to look into it later.

"I know, but we aren't left with any other choice, right?"

Xu nodded solemnly and Conrad sat back down into his chair. "I'll have an announcement ready within the next two hours. It'll be scheduled at around seven this morning. We need to tell them before the gossip can spread any further. How long do you think you can detain the students who already know?"

"Two hours should be fine." Xu said. "Most of them have done it before – there's only one student who's a first time offender, and she's the one who owns the radio and the translator."

"We'll keep this for the time-being, maybe the reporters will report something useful for a change," Conrad joked lightly. "In the meantime, I'll prepare the announcement."

Xu saluted the Commander before turning around and heading out of the office. It looked as though sleep was going to have to wait.

* * *

Christine had handed in her report as soon as she had finished working on it roughly five minutes prior. Now, they were currently in the conference room, having already given a brief summary of her findings and the room was now buzzing with conversation. She wondered how much longer this entire thing would go on until they finally came to a consensus, eager to leave the office. Though she had handed in her report, she still had her hardcopy saved onto her computer and had every means to delve deeper into it. Something didn't seem right to her; the prisoner's words roaming around in her mind as she tried to work out what seemed true and what seemed false. She still had her doubts of his innocence, but now that she had spoken to him, she had no conscious idea of whether he was guilty or innocent. 

Finally, when she felt as though the tension in the room couldn't have been cut through by a knife, she rose to her feet once again, gaining everyone's attention almost immediately with the action. Clearing her throat, she adjusted her glasses and spoke firmly and concisely. "In conclusion to my report, I would like to offer to you my opinion on the matter."

"Nonsense!"Harold exclaimed from where he sat. Christine merely chose to stare ahead of her as he continued with his argument. "She's already biased her judgement by speaking to the prisoner before trial; her opinion could be contaminated, and would contaminate that of everyone else in this room should we hear it."

"I will allow it." The Director stated and Schipner let out an outraged squawk. "She is a psychiatrist; should there be anything detrimental about the prisoner that would make him ineligible to stand trial, then we must hear it."

Christine nodded and began with what she wanted to say. "From what I have read from his file, Squall Leonhart is a greatly disturbed young man. Orphaned at a young age and then trained to fight inside of a Garden, withdrawing himself from other people and the list goes on. It is of my opinion that as a child, he should never have been placed inside of a military building as he was. Throughout his adolescence, all he did was train in the Garden, and he graduated Garden only recently but was forced to take on the responsibility of leading a war against a Sorceress. One would think the person I am talking about has had many battle experiences to be able to lead a military force into a war, but he was only seventeen."

"You're point?" Harold asked, appearing bored.

Christine paid him no mind. "I'm saying that the Garden might have had a hand in any unstable mechanisms – offensive or defensive – that led to the attack, that is _if_ he was the murderer in the first place."

"But is he capable of standing trial for his crimes?" Harold asked. "Are you trying to tell us, in your own method, that he is so unstable due to his childhood and treatment in Garden that he cannot own up to his crimes."

Christine blanched slightly, surprised by the sudden question. "Well… no, that's not what I'm saying. From speaking to him today, I find that he is more than capable of being tried in a court of law, but…"

"Good." Schipner said before turning to look at the Director. "Then I motion that we make a decision."

The Director nodded in agreement before turning to look at Christine. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to step outside while we converse."

Christine frowned beforeHarold spoke up once more. "This is what you get Christine for making this kind of decision. You should have known of the consequences in the beginning."

Nodding solemnly, Christine headed out of the room, damningHarold as the door closed shut. She had just been in the midst of asking for more time to analyze him, but the elder man had cut her observations short. There was something odd with the way the man had been acting, but until she could find out what it was, she knew that all she could do was wait.

* * *

Entering the elevator, he pressed one of the buttons, watching as the doors slid shut in front of him. Though their technology was far more advanced than that of the rest of the world, elevators had proven to be a useful commodity – especially since the hover-pods regulated throughout the city was only capable of seating a small number of people at a time. 

Sighing, he noted how his mind had turned to such an insignificant subject. He was head of security – his mind should be focussed on the job, not on stupid details like the continued existence of an electronic box.

He was restless – since the attack earlier in the morning James hadn't been able to think as clearly as he would have liked. Though he was still capable of making decisions if the need arose, he found that his focus was shot and that only happened if he was cooped inside for far too long.

_Not to mention the actual identity of the suspect._ James thought to himself.

Even he had to admit that, had it not been for the man they were currently holding prisoner, no one would be around to arrest anyone for a crime. Aside from Garden, a select few were privileged enough to know the exact occurrence of the Sorceress War and, though James had not been privy to such vital information, he had overheard the mission regardless – uniformed in an Estharian soldier uniform and positioned outside of the doors in the Estharian Residence for security reasons – though not overly experienced in the monster extermination business, he was a hell of a good shot. Sorceress Possession, Adel, Time Compression, it had come together pretty quickly, but knowing that there was a Sorceress in the future who had wanted to destroy time was a bit disturbing and had kept his mind occupied for a good couple of months before he had finally given up on the thought.

_That and the foiled kidnapping attempt..._ he thought to himself, suddenly embittered by the memory, but pushing it aside for the moment. He couldn't afford to lose whatever focus he had left – he had a new job to carry out.

His mind then wondered to his brief conversation with the Cabinet Director on his way to a meeting. The Director had Intel that there was to be an attempted break out later in the day, and had asked him to keep an eye on the prisons in case it wasn't just a rumour. Though thoroughly insulted that he was stuck babysitting the inmates, he figured it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on Leonhart. While Christine's doubts were hardly a concern to him, he still had questions floating around in his mind – questions that he wouldn't mind having the answers to, but knowing that he'd never receive.

_After all, if he _is _guilty, then he'd just lie._

The elevator dinged and he was off, turning a corner and heading to his security office. While he was no prison guard, he had the necessary jurisdiction to oversee just about anything – for security reasons of course. Though it wasn't necessary to check in on the guards, he figured that he owed them that much – they worked there too and it was a lot easier when they were willing to co-operate.

Opening the doors, he watched as two of the guards swivelled around to face him, nearly a hundred monitors positioned along the far wall and curving towards the door. James still thought it ridiculous that only two guards were stationed at one time – there was no way they'd be able to catch anything.

"I'm just letting you know I'll be keeping a watch out in the cellblocks." James said and they nodded in response, not even bothering to ask him what it was about. The Chief of Security had proven over the past few years that if he needed to keep an eye on things, that was simply what he was going to do. "Give me a holler if you note something suspicious."

Another nod and James was on his way towards the cell block.

_**

* * *

**_

1:28:51

* * *

A whistle sounded overhead and the three cellmates stood behind the bars, Butch and his friend nodding at something they knew. Riley was standing to and he inclined his head, signalling for him to stand too. Eyebrow raised, he did as suggested, wondering what was happening now.

"We get one hour of outdoor exercise a day," Riley spoke, answering his unvoiced question. "We go by cell block, and it looks like it's that time again."

Nodding in understanding, Squall turned his gaze back to the cell door, which suddenly slid to the side as a guard stepped into view. Dressed in the same uniform as most guards, this one had greying dark hair and a snide expression on his face. Reading through it, the SeeD made the connection that this man felt he was better than the prisoners he was guarding and would have probably done something to capitalize on it had he been given less restraint.

"In the hall, all of you." He snapped, holding up linking handcuffs. His gaze seemed to linger on the SeeD for a moment but whatever he was thinking was carefully being kept from his facial features. Squall wondered for a brief second what this man had to hide before moving into line with the rest of the cell block.

"You'll be grouped with your bunkmates, so four at a time." The man snapped the cuffs onto Riley, before moving towards Squall and doing the same. By the time Butch was cuffed, the chain connecting the quartet together was lack and hung down to their waists. The only exception was Butch's lanky friend – the chain connecting the SeeD and the prisoner together curved upward.

"Get a move on – I ain't got all day!" the guard barked and they were suddenly walking down the hallway, following the guard as they made their way towards the court yard.

Squall heard whispering behind him and turned his head marginally, allowing himself to see Butch and his friend talking about something out of the corner of his eye even as he began to pick up on the conversation.

"…those pricks won't know what hit 'em." Butch was saying, his friend nodding excitedly. "the whole thing'll work out, and soon we'll be outta here…"

"The motherfuckers'll be standing there," the lanky prisoner bobbed his head up and down. "scratching their heads like a monkey doin' a math problem."

"Wouldn't talk if I were you." Butch snorted, and his friend laughed all the same.

_So they're planning to break out…_ Squall thought to himself. _If that happens, the guards'll just track them down, though they must have a decoy set up, or a distraction. Either way, the guards don't appear to be stupid – more paranoid actually. Not many'll be able to get out._

He considered joining in on the escape, but decided against it. He was already being accused of terrorism; if he tried to break out that'd just make all of his efforts for nothing. It would be better to wait things out – fly under the radar and see what happened. Though not his favourite course of action, it was all he could do for the moment.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Riley asked from in front of him, jarring the SeeD from his thoughts. When Squall gave him a questioning look, Riley snorted. "You're frowning like you got a bad taste in your mouth."

Squall took a look around and realized that they had stopped walking – that had Riley not said anything, he would have knocked him over and provided the necessary distraction. They were outside of the building, the sky lighter than the last time he had seen it. As soon as the hand cuffs were off, the guards said something about finding something to do and stood at his post – beside the door.

Deciding not to answer Riley's question, the SeeD made his way towards the nearest bench and sat down, plotting out his next move. Unfortunately, Riley couldn't take a hit and followed him. "Hey, why not play some b-ball? It'll get your mind off things."

Squall simply spared him a glance before redirecting his gaze to the ground, intent on ignoring him. He felt added weight fall onto the bench and knew that the other inmate had chosen to sit next to him.

"I think I know what's bugging you." Riley said, leaning back and nearly slipping off the bench. Squall spared him another look and Riley met the expression with a knowing one, lowering his voice as he did. "You heard 'bout the break out."

_Not exactly,_ Squall thought to himself, but chose to humour the man and nodded. Maybe then he'd leave him alone.

"Yeah, I'd be worried too." Riley nodded. "Been here for a few dozen break outs. You're wondering if you should participate."

_How is he able to read me so well?_ Squall wondered mentally.

"Had the same questions running around in my head. Eventually, I chose not to. No point. They'd just track you down again and bring you back. And even if you did manage to avoid 'em, you'd have to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder."

_Also a fact._ Squall mentally agreed. _But not exactly the reason._

"Ah well," Riley said, pulling himself back up. "Whatever the reason, I'd say its best to just stay outta it. If you try and stop 'em, things'll get… unpleasant… around here. I seen what they do to snitches…" Riley jumped in when Squall gave him a questioning look. "Nothin' pretty, that's for damn sure."

_As if I didn't know that,_ Squall thought bitterly, but agreed that it would be better to act the part of the wall-flower. He did it well enough, so there shouldn't be a problem, should everything fall into place.

From his position at the door, he surveyed the courtyard, as though he was really doing his job, but noted that the two targets were sitting together, one of them talking while the other seemingly listened. Tapping the lapel of his collar while making it look like he was scratching his neck, he activated the microphone stashed underneath it and spoke softly. "They're together. Proceed as planned."

Receiving an affirmative, he deactivated the object and watched, waiting for the fireworks to begin.

* * *

A man dressed in a guard uniform put out the cigarette he'd just lit with a muttered cursed. It never failed – operations and shit always happened when he went for a smoke. Happened all the time with the hover-pods, and since he'd never been allowed to smoke on them, he'd always had to waste the precious object. 

His kid sister always told him he should quit.

Didn't fucking matter anyway; he knew he was gonna beat cancer.

Moving behind one of the pillars, he pulled out a case and opened it, smiling at the disassembled object before reassembling it, putting together each piece as though he were a man possessed and smiling in accomplishment when he held the sniper riffle in hand. Attaching the scope, he positioned it over the pillar, well aware that the only one who could see him was the man who had contacted him in the first place.

Looking through the scope, he manoeuvred his position, shifting so that he was able to see his target in his sights.

* * *

James was wondering through the cellblocks, keeping an eye on the prisoners when he finally arrived at cell block D, and was unpleasantly surprised to see that everyone was gone. When he had asked a guard, he had simply said they were heading out to the courtyard outside and James had broken out into a run, hoping that the prisoners weren't ready to execute their plan out there.

* * *

The man finally had the target dead center; the lines of the scope criss-crossing over his chest. Fuck the part where he was supposed to miss. He never missed a target before by accident, why the fuck should he purposely miss? 

His index finger curved over the trigger button, preparing to fire.

* * *

Squall caught a glint of metal from the sun north east of his current position and hadn't liked it. Looking around but keeping discrete about it, he noticed a metal object sticking out of the pillar and had known immediately what it was as he sprung into action. 

He grabbed a hold of Riley's arm and hauled him down, even as a shot was fired. Riley cried out in pain and the entire courtyard sprung into a panic, Squall keeping both himself and Riley onto the ground. Looking over at the injured man, he noticed that the bullet had simply grazed his arm and made the connection that, had he not acted as quickly as he had, Riley would have been killed.

The guards were blowing their whistles and some of them were even brandishing weapons, but the prisoner's rioting was too much for them and the guards were outnumbered as it was. When the SeeD looked up, he noticed a few of the guards were down and the one at the door had gotten out of there – probably planning on calling for backup.

Looking over to Riley, he saw the man gripping at his arm and Squall summoned forth a hasty cure spell, the wound closing up only fractionally. It wouldn't be good if the wound closed all the way – especially with the bullet trapped inside.

"Get to the infirmary." Squall said firmly and Riley could only nod through the sheen of pain. The inmate hastily got up and made a run towards the doors.

Squall rose to his feet, watching the chaos as it ensued. By the looks of it, the courtyard had already been secured by the prisoners, and the actually prison was probably slated as the next target. This didn't look like a standard break out to him – more like a seek and capture mission. Whatever it was, there was a sniper around, quite possibly looking for Riley or even himself, and he couldn't let any of the civilians get hurt.

_Looks like staying out of it is no longer an option. _Squall thought to himself. Though he wasn't junctioned, he was pretty sure he could stop the prisoners if it came down to violence. He needed to help the guards reassert control; otherwise the sniper could easily try again.

* * *

"There's been an attempt on an inmate's life!" one of the guards from the surveillance room shouted. James held down the button on his sunglasses – he had had to reduce the volume some with the other man's shouting. 

"When did it happen?" James shouted back.

"Just five minutes ago!" the guard said. "It looks like one of the inmates was shot, but another one pulled him down before he could have gotten killed."

"Who was shot?" James said, running towards the courtyard.

"Inmate number 214563 – think his name's Riley Donaldson. He's in for armed robbery resulting in murder."

"Maybe an angry family member…" James said out loud.

"Then it's a pretty big grudge." Another guard piped in. "Donaldson's been in here for seven years now."

This made James stopped in his tracks. The only explanation he could think of was that Donaldson hadn't been the target at all. "Who was the inmate who pulled him down?"

The guard seemed to be thinking along the same lines; the inmate who saved Donaldson's life was probably the only one near enough to cause a miss. When the guard answered, his voice was grim. "Leonhart."

James took off running again. Whoever was after the SeeD's life, they had to be stopped, regardless of whether or not Leonhart was guilty. Tapping his sunglasses again, he disconnected the guards from his communicator and contacted his partner. "There's been an attempt on one of the inmate's life. Another was shot, and the sniper is still in the vicinity."

"Roger that." Deilia said from her end. "I'll alert the President on the situation."

"Better you than me." James chuckled before disconnecting. He didn't have to be psychic to know that the President wasn't going to be happy about all of this.

_**

* * *

**_

1:50:02

* * *

Anderson heard the alarms sound and knew that the first phase of the plan had commenced. Whether or not they got their guy didn't matter, so long as he got his.

Having already made it to where Jack's killer was being lured, he waited patiently, even though his gut tightened in anticipation. Jack would be able to rest in piece and Bobby would have been able to pay back Jack for his kindness. Whatever happened after that didn't matter, so long as the killer wasn't listed among one of the living anymore.

* * *

It had been a solid fifteen minutes since he had left the courtyard and so far, Squall'd been able to knock out and stop the soldiers in his path from escaping or taking over, keeping an eye out for the sniper all the same. The guards had tried to stop him a couple of times, but he'd managed to outrun them, leaving behind a trail of barely conscious prisoners ready to return to their cells. 

Rounding the corner, he caught a sight of another prisoner, towering over one of the guards and Squall rushed forward, fisting both hands and knocking them into the back of the prisoner's head, rendering him onconscious. The guard was too stunned to even move and when he was finally able to control his motor functions, Squall was already down the hall, making a left turn and hoping that the other cell blocks hadn't gotten word of the situation.

Strangely enough, no one else was in the hallway and just as he was going to cut back, someone grabbed him from behind and, before he knew it, he was pinned to the wall, a hand positioned tightly over his throat as he stared into the eyes of a civilian. He looked to be late thirties, with dark hair, and didn't appear to be an overly powerful man. He was dressed casually as a civilian, but clutched in his right hand was a knife that made the man's intentions clear:

He was here to kill him.

**

* * *

**

The Time is now 2 p.m.

* * *


	13. 13th Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

* * *

Deilia frowned as she stood in front of the President of Esthar, mentally cursing James as she finished with her latest report. It had suddenly dawned on her exactly what it was that she had signed up for, and the fact that James hadn't tried to argue her out of it made her feel worse. She just had to keep reminding herself that James was in the vicinity of the attack, so obviously he couldn't just come running to take her place. She'd just have to suck it up and deal with it.

_Still,_ she thought to herself. _I can't deny that it sucks to be yelled at._

She was suddenly aware that the Commander in Chief wasn't speaking and that the room was dead silent. Pulling herself away from her thoughts in confusion, she noted how President Loire sat in his chair behind his desk with a dumbstruck and shocked expression on his face. It wasn't worry for national security that had caused such distress on his features though; it was the worry and grief expression that a parent wore whenever they feared the worst for their child.

"Fortunately, he wasn't the one shot," Deilia reiterated, hoping to calm him down. At this stage, Esthar couldn't afford their leader to fall apart. Though she housed some of her own opinions on what had happened within the last twelve hours, she forced herself to remain impartial. "and he managed to prevent the snipers target from being fatally shot as well, so once we manage to re-establish control over the prisons, we can proceed to question the man who was being targeted; possibly figure out why he was being targeted."

Mentally thanking James for catching her up on the facts, she noted that the President's shoulders sagged slightly out of relief. Unfortunately they weren't out of the woods yet; as he looked up to give her an order, his features still appeared worrisome.

"Sir, with all due respect you need to pull yourself together." Deilia said, interrupting her superior and hoping she wouldn't get in too much trouble for it later. "Your son is a SeeD; he has been in these kind of situations before, right? Obviously, he knows how to take care of himself; he will be fine. But right now, this country needs you to focus. There is a sniper in the building, and we need to find him to bring order back to the prisons, or else the prisoners locked up will make their way into the city."

President Loire nodded in response after a moment. "You're right. You're absolutely right."

Finally, the worry was gone from his expression. Whether it was still there in hiding, Deilia didn't believe it would matter for the moment. Right now, their President was back, and he was able to make a sound decision. Sorting out his emotions could wait until later; right now, she had a job she needed to do.

"As much as I know they're not going to like this," the President said, shaking his head slightly but pressing forward. "seal off the prisons. Don't let anyone out of security uniform enter or exit the vicinity under any circumstances. We can't afford to open the door and let them enter the city. Some of those people were attempted murderers; who knows what'll happen if they decide to go after their targets again."

"Understood sir." Deilia saluted the President before leaving the office and setting to work.

* * *

The klaxons sounded around him and he knew that all of the exits were sealed. After all, there was no way they would allow him to escape with what he had attempted to do. He cursed the stupid teenager who had pulled his target to safety, resulting in a bare-near miss. That ruined his record. 

His scowl turned into a tight grin, knowing that the punk was going to pay, literally with his life, for fucking up his shot. He had never once missed a target, even on purpose, but regardless the plan was moving forward as it was intended. If things went their way, the boy wasn't going to be getting out of this one alive. Not by a long shot.

Footsteps were approaching from all sides – there was no getting around them. He never had been good at close range combat; always preferring to take his targets out without them seeing him. Sighing slightly, he knew that he would never get to see his younger sister again, but that she would continue with the Adelist Legacy; all was not lost after all.

Reaching into the breast pocket of his stolen uniform, he pulled out a small rectangular package and pulled one of the cigarettes living inside of it out, tossing the rest of the pack over the edge. He searched his back pockets for a lighter, finding one and lit up, breathing the smoke tobacco in and exhaling the smoke out. He felt refreshed somehow – almost free, knowing that it was so quickly drawing to an end.

Finally, the stupid guards showed up, their weapons raised. At first, they faltered, seeing one of their own in uniform, but upon spying the sniper riffle a mere few inches away, they primed their weapons, preparing to fire.

He didn't give them the chance, stretching his arms up into the air and they stopped, staring at each other in confusion…

…until he shifted his weight backwards and allowed himself to enter freefall, the ledge he had been standing on moments before flying higher and higher from view until something solid crashed into his back. Apart from a split second of pain, his vision grew dark and he knew no more.

* * *

James nearly stumbled head first into the prison infirmary, he was running so fast. Barely stopping to catch his breath, he approached one of the doctors and pushed past him, eying the prisoner lying on a cot, his right arm bandaged up. Upon seeing the gaze, he figured that this had been the man who was shot. "What happened?" James asked, his tone challenging him to be uncooperative. 

"Someone on the ledge tried to kill me!" the inmate, Donaldson he recalled, exclaimed. "I was gonna be road kill—"

"But someone pulled you out of the way." James interjected, already knowing this part. "Where did he go?"

Donaldson blinked. "What?"

"Where did the other inmate go?" James re-iterated. He didn't know if it was from the shock of being shot, or if Donaldson was normally this stupid, nor did he really care. If he was right, then there was at least one other person inside of the building and he needed to find him before they did. "That sniper might not have been targeting you."

Donaldson's expression turned thoughtful before his jaw flopped open. "That SeeD… the one who pulled me outta the way – you mean they wanted to shoot _him_?"

"Maybe." James shrugged. "So where did he go?"

"I dunno." Donaldson stated, his expression shifting to one of worry. "He told me to come here and I left him in the court yard. He could be anywhere by now!"

James whirled around and faced a guard that was standing near the bedside table. "Did you apprehend all of the prisoners?"

"I just got radioed about it." The guard, a man with dark greying hair and stubble along his jaw line, answered. "We just managed to contain most of the prisoner's population already, since the alert of a breakout came in. We staged an ambush inside of the prison in case they tried to escape and we caught them that way, but there are a few stragglers still hanging around."

James frowned thoughtfully. That meant that Leonhart could still be out there somewhere, and he definitely needed to find him. If he was right and that sniper had friends, then they weren't finished here, not by a long shot.

Suddenly, the guard standing next to him pulled out his radio and placed the earpiece next to his ear. His expression didn't change, which made James wonder what it was the men on the opposite end was saying before the guard affirmed whatever report he received and returned the radio to the side of his belt. "The sniper is dead."

"What?" James exclaimed and the guard pressed on.

"Our men found his location but when they went to issue an arrest, the guy jumped. When they reached him, he was already dead."

"Who was he?"

"Don't know yet." The guard shrugged. "We're looking into it now."

"Good." James nodded. "I want a full report once you find out who he was and who exactly he was here to kill."

The guard nodded and immediately left the room, James following until he got to the door. James split up from him then, running down the corridor as fast as he could, hoping that he wasn't too late.

_**

* * *

**_

2:11:01

* * *

_A kid?_ He thought to himself incredulously. _A fucking punk _kid _is my brother's killer?_

Bobby was seeing red – a deep crimson shade, the blood pounding in his ears as his blood boiled. He had had a mental picture of the guy he wanted to take care of; short, probably built like a fucking brick, dark hair and a scar. Most of the description had been accurate, except for the fact that the kid only had a few muscles on him and was, well, a kid. He didn't even know if he believed Dale or that fucking guard about him being a SeeD, but knowing that this fucking punk was the one who gutted his brother had nearly set him off.

The kid was just staring back at him with an impassive expression, eyeing the knife Bobby held in his hand almost apathetically, as if he'd expected it to come to this. Bobby had thought he had caught the little punk by surprise, hauling him up against the way with the knife primed to do some damage, but the only thing that could have even remotely guessed his shock was when they darted towards the knife the first time.

It made him angry; knowing that he wasn't getting the response he had wanted. He wanted the fucker to beg; to plead for his life – to realize that he had made a crucial mistake when he killed Jack, but so far the kid hadn't even said a word.

He was so angry he was shaking, so angry that the knuckles of his fingers were starting to turn white. The killer had no remorse for what he'd done; he was just like those punk Adelists from the past; the ones who had tortured him in the prison – they didn't care about anyone else; they wanted others to feel horribly so that they could feel good about themselves.

Unwanted images of prison life threatened to swim into his mind, but he pushed them back almost violently, shaking his head as he did so. He couldn't lose it, not now. He was so close, so close to avenging his brother that he could taste it.

The silence was unbearable; he had to fill it if this bastard wasn't going to beg for his life. "You're probably wondering how you got here." Bobby said, trying his keep his voice tight like he had seen in the movies he'd watched when he was much younger. "Why I'm the one holding your life in my hands."

The kid remained silent. If he was terrified, then he wasn't showing it and it made Bobby feel angrier. Violently, he stabbed the knife into the wall beside the kid's head, and felt him flinch slightly. The fucker probably hadn't expected that, now did he?

"It's because you _fucked_ with the wrong family!" he shouted, pulling the knife back out of the hole he'd made. The kid eyed it wearily, finally understanding that Bobby was serious. "My family, you little prick! A family that was just getting back on its feet; who were finally getting back on track and you _murdered_ a man who had the best bet of making it through this shit life!"

A dull surprised expression flickered across the kid's face, and Bobby was feeling the stirrings of satisfaction for the first time since coming face to face with Jack's killer. He finally understood why he was here; what he had done and that he was going to be paying for it with his life. "You're the one from the photograph."

"Photograph?" Bobby shouted. "You mean you're fucking working for someone?"

Putting the knife as close to the kid's face as he could, he glared at him with a newfound hatred. "Who the_fuck_ hired you to kill my brother? What the_fuck_ did my brother do to deserve getting killed like that?"

The kid stared back at him, his expression unreadable, and Bobby shoved the knife closer, nearly cutting the kid with it as his hands were shaking even more violently. "Answer me you fucking punk! Who the fuck wanted my brother dead?"

He was still silent and just as Bobby was about to thrust the knife and cut him up to force him to talk, he finally spoke, but it was these three words that nearly threw Bobby into a rage he couldn't come out of. "I don't know."

* * *

They heard a howl of outrage and knew that they were close. He didn't know how far away Logan's was, but they figured that they were going to need him and soon. It had sounded almost inhuman, and it nearly made him stop in his tracks and reconsider exactly what it was he was running into. 

Burton Jay had been a part of security detail for the last five years now. He had long since given up the title of rookie, but as he heard the cry of outrage, he nearly turned tail and ran. After the Lunar Cry, he had thought he had seen it all, but when someone entered the Presidential Residence and killed those people before they could actually do something about it, it had been nerve racking. Burton had been on duty since that night, and had been looking behind his back everywhere he went, in case the murderer came back.

When he had heard who had been identified as the killer, he had nearly fainted from it. Squall Leonhart had been seen as a hero to the citizens of Esthar, having stopped the Sorceress War somehow and helped maintain the Lunar Cry. The fact that he turned around and turned out to be homicidal had been hard to swallow at first, but as it began to sink it, it sort of made sense. From what he'd heard of the guy, he was powerful, quiet and didn't get all buddy-buddy with anyone. From what Burton had seen in his life, it was always the quiet guys you should be afraid of.

He still continued the pursuit and once they rounded the corner, they saw what it was that had caused the sound. A man who looked to be in his mid thirties was holding Leonhart up by the throat, a knife placed against his throat. The most astonishing part about it was that Leonhart was just letting the guy do it.

Raising his weapon, he heard the others do the same, pointing it towards the assailant. "Freeze!" he shouted, as he heard one of the others pull out their radio and contact backup. He couldn't help but figure that they were going to need it.

The man's shoulder's squared suddenly and he turned slowly to face them, the knife still primed at the SeeD's neck, his left hand still wrapped tightly around his throat, and it nearly caused him to shit himself. The look of anger, disgust and utter hatred as apparent on the guy's features; he looked absolutely nuts! He was breathing deeply, as though trying to keep his calm, but he didn't know exactly how long the assailant was going to be able to keep himself from snapping, if that was what he was trying to do.

"You're gonna stop me from killing this killer?" the man shouted. "A punk who, by all rights, should've burned in hell by now? You're gonna accuse me of trying to murder someone who took all those lives! I'm a fucking hero for fuck sakes!"

"Drop your weapon." Burton stated in an even tone. He knew Leonhart had to pay for his crimes, but killing him wouldn't solve anything. "Put your hands behind you head and kneel to the ground facing away from us."

"Fuck you!" the man screamed. "You think your brand of 'justice'll' solve anything? You're fucking dumber than you look! Nothing's gonna happen to him! _Nothing_! All because his fucking Father's the fucking President!"

Burton nearly dropped his weapon, and judging from a surprised gasp from his left and the man on his right's jaw opening and closing repeatedly, he wasn't the only one shocked by the revelation. Leonhart also appeared shocked for a moment; either he hadn't known or no one else was 'sposed to, Burton couldn't tell for sure, but he couldn't let it cloud his judgement. If he was gonna walk for killing all those people, why would he be there in the first place?

"He's here now, isn't he?" Burton asked calmly, trying to keep the guy from flying off the deep end and killing someone. "Why would he walk if he's been locked up?"

"It's just for fucking show!" the guy screamed out, having none of it. "The government'll cover it up; keep the specifics outta the press and when something new comes up, they'll forget all about Jack and the others who're killed! So _I _have to do something about it!"

The man turned back around, and Burton raised his firearm once again, having lowered it. "If you move any closer to him, I will shoot you."

"Not before my own justice is done." The guy said over his shoulder. "I'm gonna make sure your fucked up system doesn't let him get away with it, even if I have to gut him myself!"

* * *

When James got word from his own team that the sniper's partner had found Leonhart before him, he'd increased his speed double as he raced down the corridors, praying that he wasn't too late.

* * *

"What do you mean we can't see him?" Zell shouted outraged into the face of one of the Estharians. "The President himself said we could!" 

The remaining members of the Sorceress Extermination team were currently standing outside of the prisoner's bay, having been granted the okay to go visit Squall. Unfortunately, once they'd arrived, the guards had tried to turn them away, and Zell had started a shouting match with the masked man that had lasted about ten minutes now. Rinoa was sorely tempted to join in herself. They couldn't tell them they could go in and then suddenly change their mind without telling them the reason; it just wasn't fair.

"The President issued this order himself." The guard explained and Zell looked like he wanted to start a fist-fight with the uncooperative man. "I can't tell you the specifics, but something has happened, and we can't afford to let the prisoner's escape."

"Then let us go inside!" Selphie exclaimed, pushing Zell back as he had been about to say something. "We can help. And Squall's probably in there getting the situation under control."

"I can't allow anyone to enter the premises." The guard shook his head stubbornly. "Not until everything is under control and the suspects are in custody."

"If he's in there, than he might be in trouble or something." Rinoa burst out before Quistis moved in front of all of them and glared the soldier down. Rinoa's mouth snapped shut as Zell and Selphie took an instinctual step away from the former Instructor and Rinoa couldn't blame them; when Quistis got angry, it was time to run and find cover.

"If one of our SeeDs is inside, then you are obligated to allow us through." Quistis stated in a deathly calm tone of voice. "Obviously something has gone wrong in there and we demand the right to assist, especially if one of our own is involved."

"I'm sorry, but I have my orders from the President, and I can't let you inside."

"That's alright." Irvine interjected before Quistis could say anything else. "We'll just mosey on up to the President and tell him exactly what you're doing."

"With all due respect," the soldier said. "Go right on ahead."

"I'll go." Quistis said. "It won't help if all of us barge in and complain. Besides, if it is resolved before I get back, you can go on in without me."

Everyone nodded in response and Quistis set off towards the Presidential Office.

* * *

"I can't believe you're trying to save a murderer!" Bobby shouted in outrage. For the last little while, one of the security men – Jay was his last name, he remembered the guy introducing himself – tried to talk him down; keep him from 'making a mistake' he had said, but it wasn't happening and it was making Bobby even angrier. When he had seen the shocked expressions on Jay and his team's face when he had blurted out who the killer really was that they'd finally see things his way; justice would never be served if the man in charge had to put his own son behind bars. Judging by the expression on the kid's face, he hadn't expected him to know who he was either. 

But by the way Jay had spoken to him afterwards; he figured he had been wrong. They had continuously tried to persuade him to put down the weapon he held, but he refused; justice had to be served for his brother. There was no way the law was going to do it, so he knew he had to do it himself.

"If this was any other average jackass who'd committed the crimes, he'd have already been put behind bars by now! The only reason he isn't is because his fucking father is too dip-shit terrified to watch his son go through all of that!"

"I assure you that everything is being done to ensure that justice is served." Jay responded, and Bobby wanted to grab the bastard and cut his tongue out. He wasn't listening to reason; he couldn't see that the justice he was protecting was a load of bull shit; that cover-ups still existed, and that their beloved President was no better than Adel.

"No!" he shouted, and Jay started a bit, but he didn't care. "Jack was killed! Butchered by this bastard and I'm going to see to it that he pays for it."

"I didn't kill your brother." The kid managed to say – Bobby had tightened his grip around his throat repeatedly since Jay's arrival – still with that unreadable expression on his face. "And I don't know who did."

"Lemme guess," Bobby sneered, his blood pounding in his ears. Dale and that guard had both warned him that he'd try this; that he'd try and talk his way outta being killed or whatever it was that Bobby had planned, but it wasn't going to work. He already knew the truth and there was no denying what had already been done. "You're gonna tell me that you were set up; that someone else who looks exactly like you, with the same scar and everything, managed to waltz right through security when no one else could have, killed those people and got the fuck out before anyone could stop you?"

Jay's startled expression was the only satisfaction he received from his statement, but then again, he hadn't been saying it to receive any sort of reaction. "Hope you don't fucking blame me for not buying it."

"You can believe whatever you want." The kid said. "And I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. I didn't kill your brother and that's a fact."

That was the last straw. His blood began to boil over the edges and he was shaking again. The sound of weapons snapping to position was dim in his ears but he could still hear it; could hear himself tell them to back off, knowing they would; the President'd be furious if they hurt or killed his pride and joy.

He raised the knife he held a few inches and held it closer to the kid's throat, pressing it down and drawing a bit of blood. He had made up his decision the moment he had found out who had killed his brother and what was going to happen as a result – he didn't care about the consequences.

He pulled back; ready to do what he had come to the prison to do when a faint sound emerged from the quiet and a sharp pain hit in him the shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon. He released his grip on the kid – the murderer – and fell back, cradling his shoulder, seeing blood where there shouldn't have been, and feeling the security agents bringing his arms behind his back and securing him in handcuffs, his shoulder throbbing as they did. He looked over in the direction of the murderer, and saw a couple of them checking him out, his fury growing as he realized the kid was still alive.

Finally turning in the direction of the shot, he saw another security soldier – a dark skinned man dressed in black – retracting his revolver and talking to something that wasn't even there – probably a hidden communicator or something – and suddenly the world greyed out around him and he surrendered to the darkness that was fuelled by his pain – both physical and emotional.

* * *

James had stopped to catch his breath before contacting the President, a feeling of accomplishment filling him. He had managed to catch the intruder before anything damaging could have happened, even if he had had to shoot the man, and order was finally being restored to the prisons, but he knew that it wasn't over yet. This man and the sniper had been in league and he wanted to know why. Questions began to flood his mind, but he shook them off, even as Christine's theories began to make a little more sense. 

He tried to find reason to negate the theories; that he man was probably grieving for a family member who was killed and had tried to take the law into his own hands. Though James couldn't blame him, he knew that there were better ways to deal with things than breaking the law yourself.

The man – whoever he was – was being placed into custody, and Leonhart was being seen to, in case he had been injured, but it didn't look like it. At least that was one good thing he could report. Finally, the secretary picked up and he requested to speak to the President and, after one moment, he was patched through. "What's the status of the situation?" President Loire asked almost immediately.

"We have it under control." James answered. "The intruder is being detained and the prisoner he attacked is fine."

It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't known exactly which prisoner it was that had been attacked and he frowned to himself, knowing that by saying what he had, there would be questions that would need answering.

"Someone was attacked?" the President asked. "Who?"

James took a deep breath, mentally asking himself what his foot tasted like. "The sniper attack was all a distraction, in order for the sniper's partner to attack Leonhart. Fortunately my men were able to act accordingly and managed to keep him from harming him."

"Why was he attacked?"

"As it stands I can only speculate sir," James offered as a response, knowing he wouldn't like it. "But my men are looking into it."

The President was silent on his end for a moment and James vaguely wondered what it was he was going to say next. Knowing that your son is a wanted criminal, but also a target for someone else couldn't have been good for him, and he wondered exactly what his next move was going to be.

"I want my son moved to solitary confinement." The President stated. "I don't want anything like what happened now to repeat itself. And I don't want him out of your sight for the time being. You are to keep an eye on him at all times, and if anything out of the ordinary happens, I want you to contact me immediately."

"Understood sir."

The communication was cut off and James frowned outwardly. Despite how serious the situation was as well as the meaning behind the orders, he couldn't believe that, as the Chief of Security, he had been placed on baby-sitting detail. The implications of this order were far greater than most people would give credit to, but he just couldn't believe it. It wasn't that he was insulted by the order, but with what had happened the last time he had been stationed in this position…

James shook his head to clear it, well aware that his mental musings were wasting time that they couldn't afford to have wasted. He looked up in time to watch the assailant escorted away from the premises, probably being placed in interrogation, before approaching Burton. The man had appeared slightly shaken before but upon seeing him coming, his expression changed to that of solid determination. James wondered briefly about the change, but he didn't have to wonder for long.

"That man," Burton said, inclining his head back into the direction the assailant was being dragged to. "he said that Leonhart and the President are related; that President Loire is his father. Is it true?"

James' eyes immediatelywidened as he redirected his gaze back towards the man they held in custody. It wasn't possible that he knew that connection; no one in Esthar did, save for himself, the Estharian General, a few of the soldiers, the President, his friends and his niece. Very few others knew; from what he understood, no one save for a small circle in Garden knew, so the fact that this man – seemingly a civilian – had access to this information set him on alert.

"Sir," Burton continued. "it really is true, isn't it? Then what are we supposed to do?"

James turned to look at Burton, knowing full well that he believed deeply in the system, and that knowing such a critical piece of information had shaken him. Keeping his facial expressions perfectly neutral, he stared at his subordinate in all seriousness and answered his question. "You're job. That's what you're supposed to do."

James then moved away from Burton and approached the secured inmate. From what he could see, Leonhart had been cut, but not severely, and it wasn't bleeding much. The only real thing he had suffered was a lack of oxygen, but it looked as though he was beginning to recover from that.

After telling one of his men to report to interrogation, he turned his attention towards the inmate, Leonhart glancing up when he realized he was being watched. James could tell his expression turned grim; despite the fact he was a prisoner, Leonhart was also a target; to who was the main question and because of the attack, things had just become a whole lot more complicated. "You are to be placed in solitary confinement until we determine the reason for the attack and why they are targeting you. Nevertheless, you are still seen as a suspect for the infiltration and homicide of the five people murdered this morning."

Leonhart didn't need to say anything for James to know he understood; the expression on his face gave it away. It was almost as though he had seen it coming. "Also, you are to remain under my supervision until further notice. Nothing happens unless I say it happens. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Leonhart stated evenly.

"Good." James nodded curtly. "Then let me just say this. This protection does not come solely because of your father, nor does it mean I believe you are innocent in this whole situation. What it means is that a man just tried to play the part of a vigilante and as the head of Security it is my job to secure the Residence and make sure another attempt does not take place. It is the job of the courts to decide the outcome of a crime; whether someone is found innocent or guilty and, though there are times where no one believes it will work, our only option is to follow the law to the fullest."

Turning towards the remaining security officer, James nodded in his direction and Leonhart was helped to his feet, and escorted to the infirmary, James following closely behind the entire time.

* * *

"When did this happen?" 

Christine had just been called back inside of the conference room and stood before the rest of the Cabinet, agitated on the outside and furious on the inside. She had been forced to wait for a little over an hour for the cabinet's response to her expressive opinion and instead she was kept out of the loop during a crisis. "And why am I only being filled in on this now."

"Because it involves the very person you were last seen questioning." The Director explained. "It wasn't because we didn't trust your judgement; we just needed to be sure of whether or not he staged the attack. We only just received confirmation that he was attacked a few moments ago, which is when we called you."

"So in other words, you wanted to shelter me just in case my psychopathic illness theory didn't pan out." Christine reiterated and the Director shook his head.

"That's not what I meant at all. But the attack was stopped and everyone is alright. The assailant is currently being held in interrogation for questioning, and Leonhart is being held in solitary until further notice. Logans is alright as well." The Director added on when he saw the apprehensive expression on her face.

"What about the sniper?" Christine asked as she made her way towards her seat.

"The sniper jumped off the wall overlooking the courtyard as he was about to be detained." The Director continued. "He died when he hit the ground."

"So we really have no proof of whether or not the assailant was complicate in the attack, or if he just chose to take advantage of the situation." Another woman spoke up. "After all, man who had been shot wasn't Leonhart."

"But if he was near enough to him he could very well have been the target." The Director continued. "The man we have is our only method of finding out whether or not they were connected, and Security plans on probing him for information within the next five minutes. They just have to make certain that the prisoners have all been returned to their cell blocks."

"Who will be heading the interrogation?" Harold asked.

"Most likely it will be Logan's, though he may choose to have someone else in charge." The Director answered. "The ball is in his jurisdiction now; it's his decision. All we can do is wait for the results of the interrogation and hope they are helpful."

* * *

"So it's all clear right?" the teen with the cow-boy hat asked the guard. "The whole thing's under control?" 

"It appears as though the attack was stopped and the perpetrator is currently being escorted to interrogation." The guard answered, having told them the outcome of the prison break merely moments prior.

"So then we can go in?" the brunette SeeD asked and the guard shook his head.

"Not at this time, no. There is still an investigation going on, and a rumour that the inmates are planning to escape is also circulating. We can't take the risk that the prisoners will escape if we begin regular procedure right away."

"But you said we could go in when it was under control." The blonde SeeD protested, the Sorceress nodding in agreement.

The guard sighed. None of the four teenagers had moved from their spot since their comrade had left to speak to the President. Instead, they had proceeded in annoying him immensely; asking him questions to which he had no answers. He hated his jobs most days, but he was certain that today was the worst one yet. And he couldn't just tell them to fuck off either; they were SeeDs and the President's welcomed guest. He had to act hospitable to them. "Yes, I did, but I've just received new orders from the Chief of Security ordering that the lockdown remain until their investigation has been completed."

"And how long is _that_ supposed to take?" the Sorceress asked, apparently exasperated by the whole thing.

"It depends on how quickly security gets their information." The guard answered. "It could take little over an hour, or possibly a few days time. Either way, I can't open this door until they give me the all clear."

"Then can't you bring him out here?" the SeeD girl asked.

"Are you kidding?" the guard nearly wanted to laugh out loud at the stupidity of the request. "If you were holding a prisoner, who was under suspect of a crime, and the same kind of situation happened, and their friends asked you to 'let them out' just to see them, what would you do?"

The tattooed SeeD frowned knowingly, a forlorn expression on his face. "Yeah, we get it already."

The guard felt bad for them; hell, he could understand how they felt, but he couldn't just jeopardize his job for their sake, even if they were hailed as heroes. He had his own family to think about; he couldn't afford to lose his job. "For what it's worth, I'd let you in if I could. I'll let you know when you can go see him, how's that?"

"We'll hold you to that." The sorceress stated, and he somehow had the feeling that she wasn't joking.

_**

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2:43:19

* * *

The meeting had been surprisingly short, having already come to the decisions that they needed to come to, so everyone had been dismissed, forced to wait out the interrogation results. At first, he hadn't been too worried; let the fools play their game. But as time had passed, he wasn't so certain that the pawn would keep his trap shut.

Harold made it back to his office without incident, eager to report his news to his superiors. Quickly attaching the anti-tracing device to the bottom of his cellular phone, Harold dialled the number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. "It's me." He stated. "The pawn was caught, before he could kill Leonhart. The SeeD is still alive, just as you ordered."

"Excellent." The voice on the opposite end stated; a female voice. "Then this means all is going according to plan."

"Not necessarily." Harold remarked. "The pawn wasn't one of ours originally; he was just some run-of-the-mill punk I managed to puppeteer into doing my dirty work. He might point a few fingers at a few of my informants that might just lead back to me."

"Not a problem." The woman assured. "If the next phase of the plan goes accordingly, then you won't have to worry about those fools finding out who you're really working for. They won't want to keep Leonhart in Esthar now; not with the possibility that another attack might ensue. All we need to do is wait for those fools to make the decisions and place the ball in our court."

Harold smiled, definitely reassured with the news. "You're right; you're absolutely right. Soon I won't have to lower myself to working with these fools anymore."

"Exactly. But what about that bitch, Lockhart."

Harold's smile was wiped away. Out of the rest of the cabinet, Christine Lockhart was the closest to discovering his true intentions; what with his constant objections to her snooping about. "Attacking Lockhart directly is out of the question. She's too resilient and will take it as a personal challenge. But knowing that her boyfriend, Mr. Chief of Security was involved in the recent attack shook her. If something were to happen to him, she wouldn't be much cause for worry."

"Then I'll leave the rest to your capable hands." The woman on the other end stated before the connection was lost.

* * *

His visit to the infirmary had been relatively quick and, just as Logans had said, he had been placed in solitary confinement; a prospect that didn't bother him too much. The room was considerably smaller than his previous cell; housing one bed, a since and a toilet. The bars were replaced with a sliding door with a small slot positioned near the top; probably so that the guards could keep an eye on him. 

The way that his attacker had glared at him was still etched into his mind's eye, but it hadn't had the shaking affect it was supposed to. He had seen his fair share of attempts at his life through the very short time he had been a SeeD, and had managed to maintain his composure during the face of it all. But it had felt different somehow; maybe because he hadn't actually _done_ anything to warrant the attack. Someone had led the man – Jack Anderson's brother, from what he could recall from interrogation – to believe that he had been responsible for those murders, which meant that whoever was responsible for framing him didn't like how things were playing out.

Maybe they hadn't wanted him to surrender in Deling, interrogated by the Estharians and be held inside of a holding cell, cooperating and patiently waiting for the evidence that would clear him. He had been framed for a reason; and the fact that his cooperation was helping the authorities figure out the truth was going against their plans.

_The fact that Anderson knew I was related to Laguna is another big factor._ He thought to himself as he lay back on top of the mattress, his hands positioned behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

Squall wondered if they were using that knowledge just to get at Laguna; to force him to have to choose between family or his obligations. Squall already knew the answer to this question; neither was very close to one another, but Laguna would want to do everything in his power to keep him safe, even if it meant compromising his position as President.

_Maybe that's what they're betting on,_ Squall thought to himself. _Maybe they don't want Laguna in power; they want to get rid of him by forcing him into this position, and in doing so, they're using me to get to him. _

He knew he couldn't let it happen, but there was very little he could do about it. He was stuck in solitary confinement and had Logan's watching his every movement until the sniper attack was thoroughly dealt with. He didn't have an suspects; didn't know who was working against the Estharian government and if he accused the wrong person without any facts or proof, it wouldn't help him in the long run and he would go down for a murder he didn't commit.

_Still, they have to figure out what they're doing in the meantime. They may choose to get me out of the country; make sure an attack can't happen again. It won't be in Dollet; at least not yet; they'd want to make sure the preparations for the trail are all set up. Timber is also out of the question, same with Deling. Balamb would be seen as biased, and Trabia doesn't really have any place to hold me, not to mention Trabia Garden is close enough. _

Sighing, Squall closed his eyes knowing that guessing where he was going was going to take some time. There were a few possible locations, but only one of them would be suitable, and on top of that he had these terrorists to contend with. His gut tightened, telling him that whatever situation he thought he was in, things were about to get even worse.

* * *

He grinned as things were finally set into motion. He'd just received a report on the so-called assassination attempt and was elated to know that Leonhart had not died in the attack, as the pawn had thought he would. Anderson was a brash man, not at all what he would have liked to work with, but he had played his part well. He wasn't a part of the cause, so it was inevitable that he would talk to the Estharian authorities; tell them what the original plan was. They might even finally register them as the remaining members of the true regime. 

He had heard of Schipner's worry over their sudden discovery, but he was elated by it. Finally, those morons would know who it was that would destroy their sense of rule, and perhaps they would cower in fear at the sheer mention of their organization. The latter seemed improbable, simply because those pathetic citizens would look to their equally pathetic president for a means to defeat them. Loire had been lucky when tricking Adel into becoming trapped in outer space and thoroughly cheap as he had had his son's team kill her as she was just regaining consciousness. But even cheap luck ran dry eventually, and he would thoroughly enjoy watching the man squirm under pressure; being forced to choose between his citizen's lives and his own son's freedom.

He had received word that his current guest had been reapprehended; trying to escape via the underground docks. He had scoffed; the girl had no physical power to defend herself and had easily succumbed to the tranquilizers his men had pumped into her. She would be asleep for a little while; probably awakening just in time to watch the fire works.

Clasping his hands together, he watched the screen with the Security Chief, recalling his subordinate's words and grinning as he realized the truth in them. The Psychiatrist was becoming closer and closer to discovering the truth about her co-worker, and it would be a shame if she spoiled everyone's fun too soon. Her boyfriend would be useful cannon fodder for their cause; the man was also a security risk and far too loyal to Loire than he would have liked.

He continued to watch the screen, all the while wondering what it was Schipner had up his sleeve this time.

* * *

**The Time is now 3 p.m.

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_Now that's more like it! I'm so glad I managed to get the chapter length back to what it used to be. So a little bit of action has transpired, but more of it is likely to come. I hope you guys enjoyed what has been added, and are anticipating what's about to happen. In the meantime, please remember to review; I would really love to hear your feedback, even if I am just reading it. _


	14. 14th Hour

_I'm not entirely happy with the way the ending came out, so if you would all be so kind as to let me know what you think, it'd be greatly appreciated. I feel as though it lacks emotion, but that's just my opinion. I hope you enjoy this extremely late chapter._

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**The Following takes place between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.**

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Janice Spelling was impressed with the amount of progress they had made.

The prisoner had been escorted by security to Interrogation 1, been seated and forced to wait for her arrival. She had entered the room no more than ten minutes later, accompanied by two Estharian Soldiers, in case the man was a fighter. She hadn't been at all impressed by his appearance; simply t-shirt, pair of jeans and boots. He wasn't a well built person; probably didn't work out very often either. The man had been shot; a gauze bandage wrapped secured around his right shoulder.

At first she hadn't thought he was going to co-operate; that the interrogation was going to last throughout the day, but she had been presently surprised when the man had started talking within the first ten minutes. His name was Robert Daniel Anderson, but everyone else called him Bobby, and it turned out that his older brother, Jack Harvard Anderson, was one of the five people killed during the attack. Someone had called him around ten thirty in the morning, and told him everything that had taken place, including who was the suspect and where he was being held. After that, Janice sent a group of officers over towards the surveillance chambers, in order to sort through footage that would help them find out exactly how Anderson's brother was able to enter the prison section without being detected by the metal detectors or sighted by any of the guards.

"Give a full report toAgent Logans and well as the President." Spelling ordered her men. "They need to know that there is a traitor in our midst and that we need to find him."

Nodding, the men picked up radios and began their reports and she turned back to the double-sided mirror, watching the prisoner they held in captivity left is silence with the interrogators, staring blankly at the table set before him.

* * *

Quistis stood in front of the Presidential office, waiting for the Headmaster to emerge and give her whatever news he possessed. She had arrived to the office less than half an hour prior, but hadn't been allowed access, Laguna having been busy. The Headmaster had offered to brief her on whatever it was she needed to know once he could and had entered the office thereafter. 

Frowning to herself, Quistis couldn't help but wonder if it would be good or bad news.

Finally, the door slid open and the Headmaster emerged, his facial expression showing relief. The former Instructor visibly relaxed upon seeing his features but could tell there was something she was missing. "What happened?"

"The man who was responsible for attempting to murder one of the inmates is dead." Cid stated gravely. "He committed suicide before anyone could arrest him."

"So all they need to do is questions some of the guards." Quistis responded, but to her surprise, Cid shook his head.

"There was an accomplice, though now the government has reason to believe the sniper was actually the accomplice. The man they have just arrested confessed that he was being covered by the sniper in order to take out his objective."

"Which was whom?" Quistis prompted.

Cid sighed heavily and she knew instantly that she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "The man who they have in custody was related to one of the five people who were murdered earlier in the morning. He was here to take revenge."

The Headmaster didn't need to say anything else for Quistis to receive the message loud and clear. "He was here to kill Squall…"

Cid nodded. "Fortunately, they were able to stop him before he could. The prisons are in a state of disarray because of the attack, so it will take a while before anyone without clearance will be allowed access to the establishment."

Quistis' frown deepened. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"I can't imagine why you were fired as an Instructor." Cid stated sincerely. "But yes, there is. Anderson – that's the name of the assailant – knew things; things he shouldn't have had any access to whatsoever. He knew in perfect detail what had happened earlier this morning, and about the invasion in Deling City. The fact that he knew Squall was being held responsible was another red flag. But more importantly,"

Cid lowered his voice and Quistis looked around, making sure no one was within hearing distance. Whatever he was to say next obviously couldn't be heard by anyone else. "Anderson knew about Squall and Laguna."

"That's impossible." Quistis exclaimed, managing to keep her voice down. "How could he have known they're father and son?"

"Because he had outside information; possibly given to him by someone with access to it." Cid answered simply. "Esthar suspects a traitor in their organization, with good reason I should say."

"So what happens next?" Quistis asked.

"Obviously, Squall can't stay here any longer than he has." Cid began. "If Anderson was approached by the traitor, what's to say they won't approach another family member? Those people deserve to know that the government is doing what they can in order to find the real perpetrator; they don't need to be further grieved by false accusations. Which is why the government plans to move Squall somewhere remote, where he won't have any contact with anyone on the outside until preparations for the trial have been completed in Dollet."

"That's ludicrous!" Quistis exclaimed. "Procedure must be followed, I understand that, but—"

"I don't like it either, Quistis, but it has to be done." Cid said. "Chances are if something like this happens again, he may not be so lucky. The real murderer obviously doesn't believe Squall is going to be held for very much longer; more questions are revealing themselves, despite the many accusations against him, so they want to shut him up."

Quistis wanted to argue, but she knew the Headmaster had a good point. No one wanted to see Squall die, especially not while everyone saw him as a murderer and indeed the attempts on his life would continue if he wasn't relocated. She didn't know how the others were going to take it and she resented being the messenger, but at the same time she understood that they deserved to know. "Have they decided where he's going to go?"

Cid nodded. "Laguna has managed to pull a few strings. He'll be held at the Shumi Village. Though Shumis are peace loving, they are very selective in who appears in their hidden village. Since they know Squall from his numerous visits in the past, and he's related the Laguna, the Elder granted the request."

"When is he leaving?"

The Headmaster sighed heavily once again. "At 1600 hours."

_**

* * *

**_

3:15:12

* * *

He shut off the radio he was listening to and returned his focus to the computer terminal he sat at. It'd be a little over an hour before the library itself officially opened and he didn't want to get spotted until he had all his facts.

Two people in Esthar were attacked by two different groups. Both of the inmates lived, one of the attackers had taken his own life and the other was in custody. Those Estharian hotheads were doing their best to keep the situation under wraps but he could tell that things were finally boiling over the surface – and what a time for it.

He didn't know where the leaks were coming from or who was responsible for them but it made his job a hell of a lot easier. He figured that whoever it was that was feeding the media the information they were was sitting in front of his television set – his fingers clasped as he watched his puppets do his dirty work.

He figured out who one of them was pretty quickly. From what he had been hearing on the news as of late, Squall Leonhart was being held on charges of murder – a bogus allegation at the best of times, but a serious one nonetheless – so obviously someone was bound to try and take him out before he became even more dangerous or whatever the reason was.

_No doubt they're gonna move him too._ He thought to himself.

It'd be stupid to just leave the SeeD there; after all, more attempts on his life wouldn't look good on the Estharian Correction Institutions. They'd put him somewhere no one'd expect before the trial. That is, if there was really gonna be one – he was convinced the officials would rig it to convict everyone's favourite hero.

Just as his page finally finished loading, the PA system suddenly shut on and he cursed softly, looking up to the speaker instinctively as the current Commander – Greenwood was it? – broke the still silence with his voice.

From what he'd learned about the good Commander, he didn't like him too much. Took his job seriously, always shut himself into his office to do his work, and pressed his uniform so it didn't have any creases or lines or whatever – the complete opposite of him. In his opinion, if you had time to iron your clothes, you could use it to keep up with your skills instead of wasting your time.

"Attention residence of Garden," Greenwood's annoying voice echoed throughout the hallway and he pulled his data disk from the terminal and turned off the computer, knowing that he had to make himself scarce. "As some of you have been made aware, there was an attack in the Estharian Presidential Office earlier in the day. And some of you are also well aware that there are rumours that a SeeD was arrested for the crime."

He continued typing the codes on his computer, knowing fully well that his work was about to be cut short. If the gracious Commander was planning on telling the SeeDs and cadets about what happened, that was his business, but no one would think it worth it to go back to sleep; they'd get on with their regular activities. He'd have to simply hurry up with his data research and make a hasty escape. He had a location he could stowaway in for the time being. Besides; any news received from the Commander at this point would be pitiful – he received updates on the situation every ninety minutes from his own source of information.

"The SeeD was apprehended from the Galbadian Capital, Deling City, during a mission under the Galbadian Government. He is being wrongfully accused of the crime, having had no possible way of being in Esthar during the time of the crime and returning to the Capital without being traced and caught but the Galbadian government. The man I am talking about is none other than Squall Leonhart."

He finished writing the notes, knowing that it'd be too much of a risk if he simply printed out the readouts, and, stuffing the note-paper back into his duffle bag, he rose to his feet and felt his cellular vibrating.

_Speak of the devil_, he thought to himself as he answered the phone.

* * *

"And you're saying that someone attempted to kill him with all of those witnesses?" Ibrihim asked, to which Laguna nodded. 

"I'm not very happy about it either; it means we've got a leak on this end. Probably the same person who's responsible for the frame up."

"It's possible." Ibrihim agreed. "If Squall continues to talk, obviously someone will eventually listen and believe him. Whoever set him up won't want that."

"I just wish there was more that I could do." Laguna said. "I'm the President and my hands are tied."

"Damned if you do and damned if you don't." Ibrihim nodded. "I know the feeling. So you're moving him to a remote location. Wouldn't be surprised if you chose not to tell me where."

"Wish I could, but it's for security reasons and, no offence, but if I were to just hand over that information to you it'd ruin the whole point."

"Understandable." Ibrihim said. "Though I may have some good news for you for once."

"I'm listening."

"I've managed to calm down the military. They still want to invade Esthar, but I've made it perfectly clear that they are not to do so unless I give the order."

"You're not going to though, right?"

Laguna sounded a little worried that his former superior would order an attack and for good reason; Ibrihim had been a military General for nearly seventeen years before his impromptu promotion. "I assure you, your country would have to overstep their boundaries once more before I'd give the order."

"So stay low on your radar." Laguna said. "Got it."

Ibrihim chuckled. "Besides, Esthar isn't worth the economic drop we'd have if we chose to attack anyway."

"Thanks…I think."

* * *

The guards had arrived at his cell during his mental musings. They'd opened the door and told him that he was being moved to another location for his protection. Neither seemed thoroughly impressed with the idea of protecting a prisoner, but they handcuffed him and escorted him down the hallway all the same. 

Squall couldn't say he was altogether satisfied that his assumptions had been correct; in fact he was a little unnerved. Of course the obvious choice was to move him to a more secure and isolated location, but he couldn't help but feel as though they were making a mistake. It was as though everything was beginning to fall together the more he thought about it – whoever staged the attack hadn't wanted him to die right away, but get him away from the Estharians, but to do what exactly? Anderson was a novice - that was for certain; if whoeverwas respnsible for the attack hadhim wanted him dead, wouldn't they have hired someone who knew how to do the job?

He would have felt better had he been able to keep his junctions, but because of the circumstances he had given them to the Chief of Security as a measure to prove he was willing to co-operate. Thinking back on it, it was a bad call on his part and he should have listened to Ward in the first place.

_Now is not the time to second guess yourself._ His mind rationalized. _Something is about to go very wrong and you know it. You need to focus; otherwise knowing what's coming won't help you._

So he knew that Anderson was being used as a distraction, and that it was possible the Estharians were playing into the terrorists hands. What he didn't know was what he could do to stop it. They wanted him out of the country, but then what did they plan to do? They wanted him alive, but for what reason? What role would he have to play in all of this?

It suddenly came to him, and it would have shocked him into stopping his stride had the guard behind him not pushed him forward. His connection was between Garden and Esthar; Garden because he was a SeeD and, as much as he was loath to this information, the populace of Garden looked up to him and respected him. He had been raised there for almost his entire life; everyone who lived there was connected to him somehow.

In Esthar, there weren't nearly as many ties to him, but they were equally as significant to him. There was Ellone, the only real family he had ever truly known. Then of course there was the fact he had assisted the government in getting rid of Adel as well as Ultimecia, but the most binding factor was the relationship, or lack there of, between himself and his father, who just so happened to be the President. The terrorists knew about this connection, and were probably hoping that it was affecting Laguna as much as possible.

_This might even be the basis of a coup __d'état._ He thought to himself. If whoever was in control of this entire ordeal was planning to overthrow Laguna then he was going about it the right way. The people wouldn't want any hardship to come over them and, if a war broke out, once it dissipated then the terrorist could use it as an excuse to overthrow the current government and appeal to the people and take over that way.

There were many risks with this plan, but just as many rewards to be reaped if it were successful. Squall would bet money that there were more than one traitor placed inside of the government – it would be far too risky to just depend on one person, after all what would they do if the mole was caught or killed?

He knew that he had to do something about it, but he wasn't in any position to be saying anything. If he did, the Estharians might just assume that he was confessing to his involvement. But if he didn't, thousands upon thousands of people were going to suffer through the exact same thing they were only barely recovering from.

_Either way, it'd all be my fault. _He thought to himself bitterly.

Whoever these people were, they had done their level best to tie his hand, and all he could do was hope that the others caught on to this as quickly as he had.

* * *

Schipner smiled in glee as he filed in his most recent report. Things were indeed falling into place; it wouldn't have been any easier even if the whole of Esthar was on their side. The fools were playing into their hands and very soon they would realize the error of their ways. Then the real plan could be set into action. 

He had just sent orders to one of the men on the inside – O'Ryan he recalled – to proceed with the phase, but to leave enough time for the devastation to set in on all parties involved. They had worked so very hard in order to re-establish control over Esthar and no one was going to stand in the way this time. Not Lockhart, the Loire and certainly not Leonhart and SeeD for that matter.

And the best thing about the fools' decision was that he would be an active party in the transferring of the prisoner – excellent timing and placement on their part. It was as though they were gift-wrapping the little brat. He couldn't wait to see the look on the President's face when he discovered that the man he had appointed as the Director of the Estharian Cabinet placed the mole on the same plane as his only son, though he wouldn't be there to witness the initial shock. It was a pity, but he had his own tasks to take care of.

Schipner thought about it a little further and recalled the other man who would be assisting in escorting the Prisoner to the Shumi Village. In order to keep Lockhart out of the picture, James Logans was going to play a key role. The fact that he would be on the aircraft as well made the irony even sweeter, and there wasn't a damned thing Logans' bitch could do about it in the end.

_She'll be so devastated when she receives the news; perhaps she'll even blame herself, though it'd be too much to ask her to slit her own throat when she finds out what happened to her precious boy-toy. The cow can go rot in hell for all I care._

Keeping stride as he continued towards his destination, he tried very hard to suppress the eager smile he knew kept flickering upon his expression. Things were finally starting to fall into place and h e couldn't wait for the fireworks to begin.

* * *

He clasped his hands together as he stared thoughtfully in front of him, commending Schipner on his plotting and scheming. He didn't even think Cobatchi had seen it coming, it was so utterly brilliant. Within the next hour or so, the plan would be set into motion and there would be nothing but disarray to greet the revival of the old regime. The fools in the Residence thought they had outfoxed them, but in all honesty, he couldn't wait to see each and every one of them pay for their crimes against the true leader of the country. 

In his books, Schipner had proven himself worthy of their cause, even though the old coot had been a part of their ranks for the past decade or so. However, it didn't mean he trusted him. On the contrary; he believed if a man was this capable of deceiving a group of people for his own means, it could mean the rise of ambition. Schipner might even grow to believe himself to be far greater than that of the regime and the thought of it was unacceptable. As much as he admired Schipner for his persistence given the circumstances, he also understood that the time would soon come where he must decide whether Schipner's deceptive ways could be ignored entirely.

_**

* * *

**_

3:45:15

* * *

James stood at the ready near the aircraft that would be transporting the prisoner to the Shumi Village and frowned deeply. Though he knew things would be alright during his absence with Deilia in charge, he couldn't help but feel as though he were out of the loop for some reason; as though something wasn't right about all of this. During his time as the Chief of Security, James had taken it upon himself to trust his instincts, though at the moment he couldn't tell exactly what it was they were telling him to do.

The cabinet representative slated to accompany them on their travels – a man named Harold Schipner – entered the room and distracted James from his thoughts as he came up and stood beside him. Schipner was an old man, and possessed a slightly hunched back, making him slightly shorter than James' even 6 feet, and was dressed in the purple and black Estharian robes signifying his position as a cabinet member. James didn't know much about the man, but from what Christine had been telling him for weeks now, she didn't like the way he thought.

The pilot was seated inside of the plane they would be taking to Esthar, fiddling with the controls and making sure the piloting equipment was functional. James was grateful – it meant he actually knew what he was doing. Though he wasn't terrified, he never did like flying in a plane – it meant that he was giving the pilot control of whether he lived or died.

The door opened and he noticed Leonhart's comrades and friends entering the room, followed closely by the Headmaster of Balamb Garden and his wife, the Sorceress who, according to what he'd overheard near the war's end, had been possessed by the Sorceress in the future and had been forced to murder the former Galbadian President. He hadn't thought it to be a loss, and he certainly didn't hold her responsible for her actions, though from the looks she was receiving from the other soldiers and security personnel stationed, they weren't so forgiving.

One of his soldiers moved to stop them, but James raised a hand and shook his head. They had every right to see their friend off, even if it was later discovered he was guilty. They weren't going to see very much of him after this.

He moved towards them, stopping to stand a few feet away from them and he could tell they were gauging him; trying to figure out whether he could be trusted. It was a good habit to get into – you never know what kind of people you'll run into nowadays. "It's good to see that you could make it. I'm James Logans, Chief of Security or the Secret Service, whichever you prefer."

"How much longer will it take for him to get here." The girl in blue – Leonhart's girlfriend – spoke up.

"He should be here any minute. For the record, I'm sorry that this has to happen, but it's for his own safety."

"You mean it's so you can interrogate him some more." The blonde male snorted. James chose to ignore the comment.

"I believe you all deserve to know this – the sniper attack that took place earlier today was merely a distraction, so that Anderson could attempt to kill your friend. You've probably been told all of this by now." James stopped speaking for a moment when their expressions changed from ones filled with distrust to concern at the reminder. There was no surprise, so he believed he had assumed correctly. " But it turns out that Anderson is the brother of one of the victims from this morning's attack, and he was approached by outside sources in order to exact his revenge."

"But Squall didn't do anything." The blonde female piped up.

"That remains to be proven. But under the circumstances, we can't have anyone else attempting to get to him, which is why we're moving him to a safer location. I can't disclose this location for safety reasons, but I can assure you that nothing further will happen to him."

"I'd believe him."

Everyone turned around to see President Loire, accompanied by Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac, entering the room from an adjacent doorway and, after a moment, were making their way towards them, with Ellone a little further behind. "Logans' is one of the best guys I have. If he says nothing's going to happen, then it's as simple as that. Moreover, he won't let anything happen on his watch,"

Suddenly feeling flustered with the amount of praise he was receiving, James lowered his head and stared at his shoes for a second before nodding and returning to his watchful vigil, nodding at Kiros once before he did. Kiros nodded back, before turning back towards the conversation at hand.

* * *

Rinoa sighed as she watched Logans move away from them. She liked Laguna, she really did, but she wasn't entirely sure she could trust the Security Chief. Of course, he'd let her have a moment with Squall before they escorted him into the Prison sector, but that happened right before the sniper attack. Though it was good to know why the attack had happened in the first place, it still set her on edge, since Logans' had been present at the time. It made her wonder about him. 

The doors behind them suddenly opened and everyone turned to look, and saw two guards escorting Squall from out of the hallway he had walked from. He was dressed in a light blue muscle shirt, a white t-shirt underneath and a pair of light blue slacks. Running shoes replaced his boots and the Griever chain was missing. On top of all this, there was a bandage wrapped around the left side of his neck (_Did something happen before they stopped Anderson?_ Rinoa thought to herself).

His arms were cuffed behind his back, but the guards released him, probably only until they were ready to lift off, and moved to stand over behind the President, while they waited. Rinoa couldn't contain herself and, even as her knight was rubbing some feeling back into his arms, she jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her, despite the surprise her lunge had been, and soon after the others surrounded them, each of them asking him all kinds of questions at the exact same time.

Rinoa noticed that Laguna was standing off and away from the little group and felt a little bad about it. The falling out that had taken place between them pretty much spelt it out for anyone who was there to see it; there was no hope that father and son were going to become close to one another. Rinoa thought it was sad; she'd known a father she couldn't stand for the longest time in her life, whereas Squall had the opportunity to finally get to know his after never having one for so long, and both of them were just going to go their separate ways without even trying to set things to rights.

The young Sorceress noticed the Cabinet Representative climbing into the plane before seemingly talking to the pilot in the background; probably confirming their destination. Logans stood rooted to the spot, probably keeping an eye out in case anyone wanted to try anything. Rinoa was sorely tempted to do just that, but she knew Squall would never forgive her if she did.

"Hey?" Squall's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "I'm about to get carted away and you're spacing out on me?"

Sighing lightly, she tightened her grip around his neck, wondering if they would delay the trip if she simply refused to let go. At the very least she wanted to go with him, but she knew it wasn't a possibility. "I'm going to miss you." She said quietly, before noticing that the others had stopped talking.

"I'll miss you too." He said before averting his attention towards the others. "…I'm not really good with goodbyes…"

"We know." Quistis said, the expressions on everyone else's faces revealing that they agreed with the elder girl. "You don't have to say anything else. Just come back to us safely."

Squall nodded after a moment – Rinoa thought it was to let the words sink in – before she reluctantly let go of him, noticing Ellone making her way towards the group. Squall appeared momentarily shocked by the action but upon seeing Ellone immediately rush him, realization crossed his features as he held her; her arms hugging him as she openly sobbed. Rinoa could tell that he was holding back – that he was trying to appear strong for everyone, but she wanted him to express himself; to express that he was worried or scared of what might happen – to him or everyone else. She knew he wouldn't be able to say what he was really thinking; that he didn't want to burden everyone else with the inner workings of his mind, but all the same she wished he wouldn't bottle it all up.

Rinoa saw movement coming from her left and she turned to see Laguna, Kiros and Ward approaching them, though Laguna appeared somewhat hesitant. She couldn't blame him, and she felt for him.

Squall caught the movement as well and turned to look at Laguna, everyone else following in his gaze and wondering exactly what it was that was going to happen. Even Laguna looked slightly nervous. But after a full minute passed, Squall nodded in silent greeting, the President nodding back. No words were going to be spared; they didn't have to be.

"Sir!" one of the men in the security uniforms said. "We're about ready to lift off."

Laguna nodded in subdued acknowledgement and Ellone reluctantly let go of her brother. Squall complied with the unannounced request by simply stepping forward and allowing the guards to replace the cuffs that held his arms behind him. They were about to leave, but they were forced to stop when Rinoa simply ran forward, wrapping her arms around Squall, even though he wasn't facing her. The guards were forced to stop and Squall stumbled, having not expected the action.

Resting her head against his shoulder blades, she managed to force the tears to stay back for maybe a millisecond before they suddenly fell free – the action an expression of grieve for the both of them. Swallowing hard, she managed to force herself to speak, but it wasn't any louder than a whisper. "You'll come back to us, right? We'll get through this and when you come back, everything will be back to normal, right?"

Squall didn't make any moves to turn to look at her, but his head was hung – the only indication that his decision was hurting him as much as anyone else – possibly even more so. After a moment, he finally broke the silence just when it was becoming unbearable. "I wouldn't say that I would do something when I never intended to do it. If anyone knows me even marginally well, they'd say that much about me. That being said, I promise to come back to you. Everything will be alright – if not naturally, then I'll make it that way."

Rinoa nodded numbly, unable to say anything in response and finally, hating every moment of it, she removed her arms from around her knight, and watched as he was escorted onto the plane in front of her, tears freely streaming down her face as she did.

* * *

He didn't know exactly what it was that had provoked him to say what he had, but he believed the words to be true, even as he was escorted onto the plane; placed on the seat near a window that was facing the others who watched as he left. He didn't know what the future held for them, and couldn't even begin to speculate; the terrorists were still at large, and if they were targeting the Estharian government, then something would have to be done. 

He felt more than saw Logans take a seat on his right; heard more than watched the pilot start the engines to the plane that would take him into isolation. His instincts were telling him that something was very wrong with this, but he couldn't bring himself to care – not at the moment. The only thing that mattered to him where the people standing away from the landing sight, watching as he was carted away, without even knowing exactly where it was he was going.

The last thing that Squall ever wanted was to hurt those close to him; it was even worse than the pain he had felt when he had been left alone, the pain in his chest almost unbearable, and yet he couldn't tear himself away from the window as he watched them move away, the plane he was sitting in picking up momentum as they continued down the launch way, until they were up in the air.

Even as they crossed over the mountains that would lead them outside of Esthar, Squall Leonhart could not remove his gaze from that window.

**

* * *

**

The Time is now 4 p.m.

* * *


	15. 15th Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

**

* * *

**

She had been checking on the security systems within the garden when she had seen it; a flicker of movement in the library. She paused the security tape and rewound the image, stopping and watching as the unknown figure was sitting at a computer terminal, gathering data. From the looks of it, the footage had been taken approximately half an hour prior – around the same time the Commander had made his announcement.

After a few minutes, the figure seemed to pack up and make his way towards the entrance of the library. How he had been able to get through the security lock on the doors was a bit disturbing in her opinion, but it would also explain why no alarms had been triggered – simply because the intruder was just that good. She had thought it was an Estharian, attempting to pay back SeeD for a crime they hadn't committed, but there was something local about him that made her sceptical of the notion.

Pausing the video once more, she tried to zoom in, in order to get a better look at the intruder, thinking she might be able to identify him. Frowning, she figured that she should have known; for someone to have been able to sneak into the Garden undetected they would have to be able to avoid detection on both the motion sensors and the security cameras stationed at every corner of every room. Even though she now knew he was there, she couldn't get a good angle in on his face.

She removed the communications device from her hip holster and held down the button as she sent her page. A moment later, a male voice answered her back. "Security."  
"Send a squad down to the library and search through the computer terminal marked number 9 for unidentified activity."

She looked through the footage she'd obtained after originally discovering the intruder, and watched as he made his way north of the library, passing the garage and steering towards the Training Center. Raising an eyebrow, she figured that there was only one place he could have been heading. "Also send a squadron of SeeD members to the Training Center. There should be a hidden door near some of the trees in the north-eastern most section of the training grounds. We have an intruder and he's hiding out in the Secret Area."

"Understood ma'am."

Xu cut off the transmission before starting another one. As soon as someone picked up on the other end, Xu threw aside the formalities and jumped right into her report. "Commander Greenwood, we have a situation…"

* * *

He had been able to leave the Prison grounds easily enough, since he was of course in uniform. Simply nodding at the two soldiers guarding the entrance, he continued down the hallway before climbing into the elevator and hitting the button that would take him to the desired floor.

Douglas was excited; he was finally being given a role to play in the reconstruction of the government – a huge role at that. He would go down in history as the man who signalled the beginning of the end for the losers who had ruined everything.

As the elevator doors opened, having taken him to his desired floor, he unfolded his arms from across his chest and stalked forward, simply thrusting a clenched fist into the security code pad, forcing the box to short circuit and the doors to open automatically. A couple of soldiers who were stationed at the entrance turned to see what the problem was, only to be knocked down by Douglass, a sneak attack rendering their trained skills useless and even as they slid to the floor Douglass wrapped his arms around a third soldier's neck, executing the Sleeper Hold and twisting slightly, ensuring the poor fool would never awaken.

Looking around and making certain that he wasn't spotted on camera, he pushed the dead soldier aside and tapped a couple of buttons, shutting down the surveillance cameras throughout the entire floor. Even if those fools discovered that something had just gone horribly wrong, they'd be far too late to do anything about it.

A man and woman stood at the controls he needed and he quickly made his appearance known by pulling out the sidearm he possessed and removing the safety. The resounding click that was heard was enough to cause both people to jump and they turned around slowly to face him, the woman screaming when she saw he had a gun.

Wincing slightly, he raised it higher, aiming at the woman's head. "Do that again, and you'll join the guards up here."

The woman whimpered for a moment before finally falling silent, an expression of helplessness befalling her features. The man took a protective step forward, nearly standing in the path between himself and the woman before finally speaking. "What is it you want?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"I'd think it was obvious." Douglas barked out, slowly making his way down the stairs. "I'm a lowly prison guard, after all, so I can't use any of this equipment. That's where you come in."

He pulled out a piece of paper from his uniform pocket – a set of numbers written out in a hasty scrawl – and held it out for the man to take. "I need you to set the missiles to hit this target. I also need you to wire a remote detonator and hand it to me."

The man looked as though he wanted to protest, but when Douglass flexed the gun into his direction, all the man could do was gape at him in horror. "I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if you refuse."

Both workers exchanged glances and after a moment of hesitation, both set out to work, Douglas grinning as they moved.

_They wanna stop my missiles from launching; they'll have to do it manually. _Douglas thought to himself. _And by the time they reach the outskirts, it'll already be far too late._

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**_4:15:08 _**

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He had made it to the Training Center a few minutes after leaving the library, checking himself and making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. The last thing he needed was to get caught now; he was still slightly confused on his orders concerning such a thing. Not that he really liked following orders anyway.

He had thought the journey through the Training Center would have been easy, but he had been proven wrong when a T-Rexaur suddenly made its way towards him. Having cursed under his breath, he realized that he had left his weapons at home before managing to dodge the monster's attacks. It had taken little under an hour, but he'd managed to lose the monster, the giant creature having lost interest in him in favour of the three Grats that couldn't quite scurry out of the way.

_Better them than me…_ he thought to himself and was just about to make his way towards the Secret Area when he heard the T-Rexaur roar, apparently finished with its meal. Having dealt with the creature before, he didn't necessarily want to go at it with just his fists and made to leave when he heard the creature's death cry. Spinning around, he saw what had caused the monster's death – a squad of SeeDs were already making their way around the mess of lizard and searching the area.

He managed to duck behind some foliage and avoid detection; one of the SeeDs had been too close to spotting him. Frowning thoughtfully, he wondered exactly what could have blown his cover when he recalled the surveillance cameras that had been installed into the Garden. Cursing himself mentally for forgetting such a vital piece of information, he began to focus on making a hasty escape. But he couldn't see a way of getting around them.

Cursing the man who had given him his orders, he silently rose from his kneeling position, hands up in the air in the universal sign of surrender. As much as it ate him up inside, his contact assured him that they would leave him be as long as he co-operated with them.

The SeeDs turned to look in his direction before suddenly raising their weapons and firing at him. His eyes widened in shock, but he wasn't stupid enough to stay in one spot as the bastards took pot shots at him. Finally he managed to shout out over the loud noise of weapon fire. "Hey! Don't you fuckers know the meaning of the word 'surrender'?"

Either they didn't listen to him or didn't particularly care; they raised their weapons and fired off another set of rounds, which he barely managed to dodge as he ducked behind a tree that had been planted nearby, the bullets flying into the bark or breaking off the branches surrounding him. Checking to make sure he hadn't been hit, he realized that there were a couple of holes in his sweater and frowned, knowing he hadn't brought much in the form of clothing to replace it, even as the weapon fire increased.

Cursing loudly, he mentally ran through his options before realizing that he was going to have to use force to get out of there.

Looking towards his left, he noticed a slightly smaller SeeD closest to him and, silently knowing he was going to go to hell for this on top of other things, he leapt out, charged into the SeeD and held him up, forcing the weapon from the startled male's hands and holding it to his head in the time it took for each of the SeeD's to blink. _Must be getting slower…_ he mentally remarked before glaring at them.

"Shoot at me… I dare you, though I doubt your people'd be happy to hear how this punk turned into Swiss cheese."

The SeeD hesitated as they watched their own being held hostage and he knew he had the opening he needed. He threw the startled SeeD into his own team-mates and made a run for it, the weapon fire recommencing even as he was making a break for the door.

Just as he barged out of the metal doors separating the Training Center from the rest of the Garden, he stopped and cursed Hyne for all it was worth. Another squadron of SeeDs surrounded the only other exit from the area, weapons raised and magic flaring. The woman standing in the very front looked surprised to see him at first but adjusted her expression into that of a glare. "Place your hands behind your head and get on your knees or we'll shoot. Do it now!"

_Don't you mean _'and _we'll shoot'?_ he thought to himself sardonically, but grudgingly did as he was told anyway, his hands placed behind his head even as the SeeDs pursuing him emerged from the center. He felt the cold metal of the handcuffs wrap around his wrist and was pushed violently onto his stomach, all the while hoping his contact knew what he was doing.

* * *

Staring out the window onto the surface beneath him was becoming a rather tedious pastime in his opinion, but he couldn't very well think of anything better to do.

He sat on the left-hand side of the back seat, his arms still restrained by the anti-magic wrist-guards behind his back. Logans sat on his right, while the pilot and the Cabinet Representative sat up in front respectively.

Despite his relaxed disposition, Squall was on high alert, in case his instincts were correct. He didn't want to be caught unawares, in case something were to happen and he didn't exactly like the fact that nothing had happened just yet. The ground beneath them was buried under a blanket of snow, but as for how long it would take them to get to their destination, he could only guess.

"I received a briefing regarding what took place in the Prisons earlier." Logans said, breaking the tense silence of which had fallen upon the cabin.

Squall didn't say anything at first, choosing to continue to stare out the window and patiently wait for Logans to continue. When he didn't, Squall sighed irritably but didn't remove his gaze from the glass in front of him. "And?"

"I was wondering about something," Logans stated after a moment's pause. Squall rolled his eyes as he turned to face the man questioning him. "You could have used the diversion to escape the Prisons. No one would have been able to stop you. You could have gotten out, given that you knew your way out of there…."

"From what I saw of the prisons, the central exit is the one guarded the lightest and, while there are guards patrolling it, the eastern entrances could use a little more security." Squall interjected. "The man you arrested – he probably made his way through the central corridors without so much as a metal detector test, let alone a proper escort."

Squall saw that Logans was staring at him in shocked awe. Sighing once again, Squall jumped in once again before the Chief of Security could get a word in edge-wise. "You're wondering why I stayed to help." Squall asked, moving his attention back to the window. He didn't need to turn around to know that Logans had nodded.

"Why did you tell me all of that?" Logans asked after a moment of awkward silence. "Wouldn't you have just kept that information to yourself? We're the ones keeping you incarcerated after all."

"To prove a point."

"And that would be?"

"That I could have escaped at any given time I needed to." Squall stated with a verbal shrug. "That I knew every single escape route that I possibly could have known, as well as how heavily guarded they were and the easiest routes to access those exits, but instead of utilizing this information I chose to co-operate with the guards."

Before Logans could say anything, Squall cut him off once again. "I have nothing to hide. I didn't kill those people. Why would I run from the Estharian Government if I haven't done anything wrong? Whether you believe me or not doesn't exactly matter."

"Then what does matter?" Logans asked after another moment of silence.

"I was set up by someone, and they're not done yet." He stated simply. He didn't know whether the security Chief believed him or thought he was paranoid, but he continued regardless of the fact.

"Why are you telling me this?" Logans asked and Squall turned to face him again.

"Because you've just become involved." He answered and returned his gaze to the window, oblivious to Logans' expression.

* * *

Douglas smiled to himself, staring at the remote detonator in his hand. As soon as the co-ordinates had been set and the detonator handed over to him, he had ordered the man to locate the manual override, enjoying the look of despair that crossed his features when the words had left his lips. Had the bastard thought him to be as stupid as to no think of it as a possibility?

_Oh well…he can ponder it for the rest of eternity for all I care._

His attention shifted from the device in his hand towards the two prone bodies lying nearby. Douglas had been ordered to tie up any loose ends that should prove to be quite troublesome to his mission and indeed he had; as soon as the manual override had been destroyed and the co-ordinates double-checked, he had pumped the pair so full of led not even Sorceress Adel would be able to bring them back from the grave. His contact would make sure he knew when it was time to pull the switch and then the fire-works could really begin.

Flipping the remote into the air and catching it daftly in one hand, he placed it inside of his breast pocket before retreating from the facility, his task having been accomplished. All he could do for now was wait.

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**_4:40:44 _**

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Cid sighed deeply as he picked up the phone he needed to use. The others were just as saddened by this act as he was, but he couldn't allow it to show – not entirely. Though he believed that SeeD should be allowed to act more human rather than the strict machines NORG had willed them to become, he also understood that to be too emotional, especially during a crisis, was also a bad thing.

Rinoa was sitting on the opposite end of the room, her hands clasped together and her head bowed – precisely the same gesture Squall had been seen in throughout his time at Garden. Quistis and Selphie sat on either side of her and Irvine was seated beside Selphie. Zell was busy pacing the length of the room, occasionally cursing under his breath. Cid wondered if the brawler's mother was aware of the language her eighteen year old son spouted on occasion. Even his wife appeared withdrawn, though she too tried her best to cope with it in her own way – trying to sooth the girl in blue she was kneeling in front of.

_There's no point for us to stay here any longer._ Cid thought to himself dismayed. Though he trusted Laguna to send updates of the situation to them as quickly as he possibly could, he didn't like to receive recycled information. He wanted to be well aware of what was happening, rather than question the possibility of a tape in conversations, or a leak coming from either side.

Though saddened by Squall's decision to stay within Estharian custody, he was also proud of him. The man whom had been seen as the lone wolf throughout his student years at the Garden was thinking about the bigger picture than just his own position, something most people found difficult to do during the best of times. He was baring the brunt of this punishment for a crime he had had no participation in, in the hopes that the real perpetrator would be caught. It might have been wishful thinking, but it was also buying them the time they would need – should Squall have decided against co-operation, it would have been far more difficult to prove his innocence.

During the time he took to muse mentally to himself, he had dialled the secure line that would patch him into Balamb Garden. It was time to return to their home base and figure out their own methods of capturing the true guilty party. As the phone rang, he wondered if it truly was even over when Xu's familiar voice came on the line. " Balamb Garden."

"Xu, this is Cid." Cid stated as enthusiastically as he could muster. "I need to speak to the Commander."

"Oh…Headmaster Kramer…" Xu said, sounding slight hesitant, which in turn caused the Headmaster to frown slightly. Normally she simply strode though a call as simply as she would check her messages. It told him that there was something very wrong. "I'll patch you through immediately. The Commander wishes to speak to you as well."

_Probably about this whole mess._ Cid thought to himself, but wondered exactly what the topic at hand was going to be. "Thank you."

Xu did not respond; instead he heard the busy tone as she began to patch him through. Turning to look at the others, he realized he had gained their attention and decided to switch the conversation to audio. There wasn't anything going to be said that the others wouldn't know and he'd simply pick up the earpiece and speak to Conrad privately if there was.

The dial tone disappeared and Conrad's voice came in clearly through speaker, though his tone of voice was crisper than normal. "Hello Headmaster, you wanted to speak with me?"

"That I did." Cid responded, wondering about everyone's sudden change in behaviour. "I have just called to let you know we will be leaving Esthar within the hour and returning to Garden. Due to some unexpected turn of events, we plan to continue this investigation from home field."

"Of course you would." Conrad stated and Cid couldn't help but feel the young man's voice held a slight sardonic undertone. "There is also something of great importance I must speak to you about."

"Oh?" Cid asked curiously. "About what?"

"With all due respect, Cid, I wish to speak about it in person." Conrad responded and Cid frowned thoughtfully. "I will meet with you just outside the landing co-ordinates of the Ragnarok."

"Alright. We'll speak then."

Conrad didn't bother to respond, merely cutting the transmission. Cid sighed, wondering what it could be able when Zell asked his unspoken question. "The hell was that about?"

"I wonder what he wants to talk to you about." Selphie jumped in.

"I'll find out soon enough." Cid said simply. "In the meantime, we need to see about getting ready."

"I'll help Nida prep the Ragnarok." Selphie said as she made to leave the room. Irvine immediately rose to his feet and followed behind. Zell did the same, knowing quite a bit about the Ragnarok, though Cid knew it was because Zell wanted to learn how to properly pilot the former Estharian flag ship.

"I think we should ask about the prisoner." Quistis suggested, surprising Cid. "We might find out more about who his contact was. Maybe find out where he is."

"Good idea." Cid nodded. "And why don't you and Rinoa go for a walk. Clear your heads before we leave."

Lowering his voice, he inclined his head in Rinoa's direction before continuing. "Besides, I believe Rinoa needs the company, regardless of what she says."

"I agree." Quistis said. "Thank you, sir."

Cid waved her off as Quistis approached Rinoa and a moment later, they were leaving the room after their comrades. Edea rose from her kneeling position and frowned. "I wonder what Conrad wishes to discuss with you."

Cid couldn't help but agree.

* * *

It had been a while since their conversation and James didn't know what to make of it. The teenager sitting beside him had seemingly known every single escape route in the Prisons, even though he had only been to a couple of places. He assumed the boy had cast a scan spell and had concentrated the target to be the entire building.

But why would he have done that?

James didn't know if he was actually trying to prove a point or whether he was right about still being a target. The families who had been affected by the attack were still in Esthar, so they wouldn't be able to attack him where they currently where. Was he just being paranoid or did the people who got to Anderson have a longer range than they were suspecting.

Currently, the SeeD was staring out the window of the plane, much like he had been doing the entire trip. According to Orally, he had done much the same during the trip from Galbadia as well. From what he knew already, James thought that maybe Leonhart was lost in thought rather than admiring the scenery. It would hold much more to his personality than the latter.

Just as he checked the time, he felt the SeeD shift swiftly on the seat and frowned slightly. He looked up from his watch and saw something flicker across the SeeDs face. Was it realization? Or shocked dread? James couldn't decipher it and it agitated him slightly. "What is it?"

"We're not going to the Shumi Village."

Logans' eyebrow rose. That sounded suspiciously like an order rather than a comment. Was he planning on hijacking the plane by himself? "What do you mean by that?"

"Look out your window."

Logans took a glimpse out of the window, only seeing the snowy expanse of the Trabia landscape beneath them. He looked up towards the sky and still found nothing. Turning back to the SeeD, he grappled to try and contain his growing agitation. "What am I looking for?"

"Our course has been altered." The SeeD continued. "This is not the way to the Shumi Village."

James rolled his eyes and looked out the window, still seeing nothing wrong with their course. "You're paranoid."

"Check your radar." Leonhart stated, determined that he was right.

Choosing to humour him for the moment, James pulled out his pocket organizer. Selecting a few options, he accessed the map of the world, with their target destination selected. He pressed another button and was about to tell the SeeD where he could shove his conspiracy theories when the readout revealed to him what Leonhart had just been telling him. According to the angle they were moving in, he realized that they would be moving away from the Trabian continent altogether; their destination unknown from there.

His agitation grew steadily as he unbuckled his safety belt and moved to stand behind the pilot. "Put us back on course." He ordered. "We are to head to the Winter Island."

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir." The pilot said, his gaze fixated on the windshield in front of him.

"I am giving you a direct order!" James was so close to losing his temper that he was beginning to see red edging into his vision. He mentally began to count backwards from ten, but the attempt to calm himself down vanished when he realized he was face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"He doesn't take orders from _your_ government." Schipner responded coldly, flicking the safety off the Estharian weapon. "Now return to your seat and enjoy the ride."

"What do you think you're doing?" James asked in shock. "You're part of the Cabinet!"

"Only to those who need to think that." Schipner stated automatically. "Now sit down or I will shoot you."

Frowning, James knew that if he reached for his own gun, Schipner would shoot him immediately, so instead he returned to his seat and adjusted his sunglasses, catching Leonhart staring at both parties in confusion. "Who do you work for?"

"I'd say it was fairly obvious." Schipner stated before turning away from him. "We've come to rescue our ally in arms."

James immediately whirled on the SeeD and found that the façade of indifference was gone from his features. Instead, a look of shock and surprise was etched into his features as he stared dumbly at Schipner. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't need to pretend anymore, our cover's blown as it is with this stunt." Schipner said, swivelling his seat around to face them. "You were brilliant, you know. You almost had _me_ convinced of your innocence, and I work with you."

"He's lying." Leonhart managed to get out, but Schipner laughed it off.

"And the cabinet was sceptical of your guilt, of course. You even managed to nearly convince one of them that you were innocent of the charges, simply by your mind games, but don't worry. She'll be dealt with soon enough."

James' stomach tightened as he glared at both Schipner and the SeeD. He knew exactly who Schipner was talking about. "If either of you do anything to hurt Christine…"

"I'm not working with them!" Leonhart shouted, glaring balefully at Schipner. "If I was the one who murdered those people, then why the hell is the Galbadian Government saying I was in Deling the entire time?"

"This performance is getting boring." Schipner stated. "They saw the holographic image of you and were easily fooled. That touch was your own idea."

James didn't know which one to believe and was having a difficult time in grappling with his anger. "And what do you plan to do with me, exactly?"

"You're just here to enjoy the ride." Schipner stated simply as he unstrapped himself from his seat and towered over the Chief of Security. "But now that you know the truth,"

Schipner levelled the weapon at James' head, right between his eyes. He could feel the barrel of the weapon pressed against the bridge of his nose. "We can't afford to have any liabilities hanging around, you understand of course."

James prepared himself for the worst when all of a sudden he caught movement from the corner of his eye. The SeeD lunged out of his seat and knocked himself into Schipner, forcing the gunman to lose balance and his aim. Schipner fired once, twice, three times; the first barely having missed James as the other two went wild, ripping through the wall of the aircraft.

James was barely just beginning to recover when he saw Schipner punch the SeeD away, the teenager falling roughly onto his shoulder as Schipner stalked over and grabbed him by the scruff of the prison uniform he wore. "You little punk! If you weren't so valuable alive, I'd—"

The plane tipped to the right and Schipner lost his balance, dropping Leonhart and grabbing hold of his chair in order to balance himself. The SeeD slammed his back hard against the side of the plane and James began to battle with his seatbelt, a feeling of dread nestling itself in his stomach. "Control the plane, moron!"

"I would," the pilot snapped back. "except you shot the propeller on the right wing! It's failing and I can't keep the plane steady."

"What?" Schipner shouted in outrage and strapped himself back into his seat, talking animatedly with the pilot. James shot out of his own seat and began to help Leonhart stand, regardless of whether he was in league with the terrorists or not.

"Why did you—?" James began but was cut off by Leonhart.

"Uncuff my arms."

James stared at him incredulously. "You're crazy if you think I'd do that."

"We don't have much time…"

"Yeah, I know – the pilot just said he can't keep the plane steady." James said, knowing what was coming. The plane was going to crash. At this height they would be lucky if they survived.

"Then uncuff me." Leonhart stated simply.

"It's against protocol—"

"Do you want to die!" Leonhart shouted at him, glaring at him for such a statement.

"Of course I don't want to die!" James snapped back.

"Then _uncuff_ me!"

James hesitated for a moment longer before reaching into his pocket and extracting a chain. It had a strange symbol on the side of the metal casing attached; the same symbol on the handcuffs strapped to the SeeD's arms. Placing the marks so that they faced each other, the cuffs suddenly clanked onto the ground, the SeeD rubbing his arms for a moment before grabbing onto James' shirt. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Leonhart didn't answer; instead moving to open the door of the plane. He braced himself against the plane door by one hand while the other held James. As he looked down and saw the ground beneath him, his eyes widened in shock. "You're gonna—"

"It's not what you think." Leonhart muttered—

—and the next second James was flying out of the plane, plummeting towards the ground beneath him, cursing himself for being so stupid as to release the prisoner and bidding a silent farewell to Christine—

—when something violently tugged onto the back of his shoulder blades and forcefully stopped his descent. At first he thought he was dead, but then he opened his eyes and noticed that the ground was still beneath his floating form. He turned to look around and saw miniature white wings sprouting from his back, keeping him from plummeting to his death.

And in the distance, the plane descended into the ground nearby and crashed, a loud boom emitting from the site as flames began to spark out in the distance.

It was when he saw what had happened when Leonhart's words dawned on. He wasn't trying to dump him out of the plane and watch him plummet to the ground beneath them.

He was trying to save his life.

Another sickening lurge and he was falling once again, the float spell having worn off. Fortunately the drop wasn't all that high and he managed to tuck into a roll, wincing as he landed on his left shoulder. Taking a moment to rub it, he hurried towards the plane, changing the function of his sunglasses as he patched into the Estharian Residence. "This is Chief James Logans reporting in, does anyone read me? The plane we were on was hijacked by militants posing as Estharian personnel and has crashed about an hour north of Esthar's capital. The personnel on the plane includes the pilot insert name, Harold Schipner of the Estharian Cabinet and Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden. I'm heading towards the wreckage to check for survivors, over!"

No one answered and James didn't wait, simply breaking into a spring towards the plane, his gut tightening even more as he took in the situation. Harold Schipner was a traitor, and had been working with the people who had caused the attack on the prisons earlier that day.

And Squall Leonhart was innocent – was in Deling City during the time of the crime when someone else who was masquerading as him took out those people, all in the hopes of making the government crumble. It might even have something to do with the President – after all, the accused was his son.

He sincerely hoped Leonhart was alive – he'd feel horrible if he found him dead, especially after having saved his life, especially after the way the government treated him like a criminal. The fact that he had simply sat back and taken it made him feel worse, and yet it made him marvel at the teenager's determination to see things through the way they were.

Finally, he made it to the wreckage, the flames having grown since he had first seen them set in and forcing him back and away. He simply removed his uniform jacket and wrapped it around his head before jumping into the flames. It was tremendously hot despite the cold temperatures of the Trabian Tundra, but he pressed onward and, after a few minutes, was forced to exit, unless he wanted to be burned to a crisp and without getting close enough to know if there was anyone else inside.

Cursing loudly, he tried searching the wreckage from outside of the circle of flames, calling out the SeeD's name, hoping he received an answer. Just as he was about to radio everyone's status, he caught a glimpse of something – a head it looked like – lulled to the side as the person burned alive in the flames the crash had created. James activated the comlink and had just patched into his partner when he heard a crash; the plane exploding behind him and the flames and debris left over from the explosion crashing over him.

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**The Time is now 5 p.m.**

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_I've posted this chapter early for two reasons. First of all is the most obvious - I took so long to post the 14th chapter that I felt slightly guilty about making you wait. The second is that the previous chapter was too short - at least _I _thought it was too short. Either way, you don't have to wait for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it._


	16. 16th Hour

_It hasn't been very long since the last chapter, but I chose to give you all a bit of a break. You probably hate me for the way the previous chapter ended, but let me just tell you there are still nine chapters left in the story (this one included), so if you thought the events in the previous chapter meant that the shit hit the fan, then the events in this chapter probably burried said fan. I hope you enjoy thischapter and please review._

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**The Following takes place between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.**

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Selphie and Nida were busy working on getting the engine of the Ragnarok ready, working in silence as Zell and Irvine just gave them company. Nida hadn't asked what was wrong; Zell figured he already had it all thought out, but was grateful all the same.

The brawler felt like punching something, but knew if he did, Selphie'd get all pissed at him for hurting her 'baby' as she'd begun to call the Ragnarok. He didn't need that on top of everything else. Right now, he felt just as helpless as he had when that Paul guy had gotten shot, or when Selphie had told him about Squall surrendering to the Estharians. Now he was being carted off because the same people responsible for framing him were trying to keep him quiet. It just didn't seem fair.

_When we get back to Garden, I'm so visiting the Training Center._ He mentally promised himself, though he was still wondering about what the Commander wanted to talk to the Headmaster about and why it was so important that he wanted to do it face to face. That's what he never got about higher officials – they had to do things the hard way all the time.

Zell was by no means an insensitive person. He knew when to speak to someone face to face, or when the news couldn't wait, but he thought the Commander was just being ridiculous. The guy sounded like he wanted to speak to the Headmaster right away and now all of a sudden he wanted to wait until they could speak in person? Things were quickly change from bad to worst

_What else can possibly go wrong now?_ Zell wondered to himself and just a second later, the communications light lit up, just as Quistis and Rinoa entered the cockpit.

"Is someone going to answer that?" Quistis asked, even as Rinoa sat down.

Selphie rolled her eyes and flipped the switch in front of her. "Yes, _mother…_" she said mockingly before turning her attention towards the speaker. "Ragnarok here. What is it?"

"You all might want to get back in here." Laguna's voice sounded on the speaker.

At the sound of his voice, Zell got worried. Laguna normally sounded enthusiastic when it came to calling people over, whenever he was happy or angry. Now he just sounded like a guy who'd lost everything because of a bad coin toss.

Quistis appeared to have thought the same thing, because she immediately hurried to the door. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

As he followed the others, Zell couldn't help but wonder what it could have been that caused the President to sound like that when he suddenly stopped in his tracks as a realization dawned on him.

_Shit, what's happened to Squall now?_

* * *

Cid and Edea arrived at the Presidential Office and when they did, Cid new something horrible had happened. Deilia Oakwood, second in command of security, had been standing at attention and now looked to them, a look of pity strewn upon her features. The President's head was bowed over his desk and Cid grew alarmed by this sight. It wasn't like Laguna to appear to concede defeat, especially during a crisis. 

"What has happened?" Edea beat him to asking the question that was floating around in his own mind.

Instead of Laguna, however, Deilia was the one who spoke. "The President contacted the others roughly ten minutes ago. They should be here shortly."

"What happened?" Cid stated and Deilia sighed.

"We just received a message from the Tundra in Trabia a few minutes ago. We tried to clean it up as best we could, but we couldn't get much from the transmission."

Cid noticed that in her hand was a small recorder, obviously the message they had received. "I played this for the President, but we don't have any confirmation as of yet."

"Play it for us." Edea prompted and Deilia nodded, depressing the button and allowing the recording to play.

"…This is… Logans'… plane… hijacked… has crashed… personnel… Schipner… Balamb Garden… to check… survivors…"

Deilia turned off the recording. "We just tried him again, but we received no response. Teams have already been dispatched to investigate."

"What did he say? About Schipner?" Edea asked. "There was a man with that name who boarded the plane that was taking Squall to the Shumi Village was there not?"

Cid paled as realization dawned on him. The message was saying that the plane Squall had been on had crashed and the Security Chief was checking to see if anyone had survived. "How did Logans get out of the plane?"

"We don't know as of yet." Deilia said resigned. "All we know is the pilot, Schipner and Squall were inside of the plane when it crashed, from what we've managed to get from the recording. As it stands, there might not have been any survivors."

"What are you saying?"

All three of them turned around to see Ellone standing in the doorway. Cid and Edea exchanged surprised looks and Deilia merely stepped out of the way as the young girl moved closer into the office. "Are you saying that my brother's dead? That can't be true, it just can't be!" She looked imploringly towards Laguna, who had raised his head upon hearing the girl's voice. "It's not true, is it Uncle Laguna?"

"I'm sorry, Elle. I don't know." Laguna said, and Cid couldn't help but think the President sounded like a broken man. "We can only hope that he's still alive – that everyone in the plane survived."

Laguna turned to Deilia, who appeared slightly uncomfortable within the atmosphere. "As soon as the team makes it to the crash site, contact me with anything you can find. I want to know how that plane crashed and what the hijackers were after."

Deilia nodded before quickly stalking out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ellone was trying desperately to hold the tears back, and Edea wrapped her arms consolingly around the girl, who immediately shook off the gesture. "No! Don't! It's not going to work! I can't believe you're all convinced that he's dead. Well he's not! He can't be dead, he just can't be!"

"Ellone…" Edea started, but was interrupted.

"I don't want to hear it! You don't know how hard this is! We've been together since we were _children!_ Raine had just died and if he hadn't been there I would have fallen apart! He was the only one there to help my grief, to help me move on! I refuse to believe that he's gone! He's not dead!"

She broke off into a whimper as she collapsed onto the ground, Edea steadying her and this time, the younger girl didn't push the former Sorceress away. "He just can't be dead. He can't be." Ellone whispered in a broken voice.

"Who can't be dead?"

Cid looked up to see Quistis and the others open the doors and enter the room. Quistis' expression was drawn tightly, as though she were willing herself not to think of the worst. Selphie, Irvine and Zell exchanged worried glances and Rinoa just stared straight ahead in shock. Even Nida looked as though he wanted to ask about it, but Quistis beat him to it. "Who can't be dead?" she repeated.

At this, Ellone burst out crying, clutching Edea for support as Edea tried to console her. Cid could see the colour draining from everyone's faces and Rinoa covered her mouth with both hands as realization dawned on them. Cid nodded at them, confirming their suspicions. "The Estharian government just received a recording of a transmission they received from the tundra. The plane that was heading to the Shumi Village didn't make it. It crashed just minutes ago."

No one said anything for a moment, the silence only disrupted as Laguna moved to assist Edea consoling his niece. Finally, it was Quistis who broke the silence. "Oh my god…"

"He's dead?" Selphie asked in a wounded voice.

"NO!" Rinoa shouted and everyone turned to the girl as she clutched at her head, shaking it vehemently as tears began to cascade down her cheeks. She repeated the word, over and over again, each one being shouted out as violently as the last.

"It's not fair!" She finally shouted and Irvine grabbed a hold of her, preventing her from hurting herself. She paid him no mind, even as Nida joined him in restraining her. "Squall! Squall you bastard, you promised me! You _promised _me you'd be alright; that everything'd be alright! You bastard sonovabitch!"

"Rinoa! Calm down!" Irvine shouted and Zell immediately moved towards the three, holding her down as well.

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you don't!" Zell shouted and Nida grunted in agreement.

Rinoa struggled for a second longer before suddenly falling limp against the three who were holding her down. Zell fell onto the ground as a response and Nida stumbled slight as Cid turned to look at his wife, whose arm was outstretched, a very shaken expression upon her features. "Edea?"

"She is reacting badly to the news." She said, her voice having gone hollow and Cid understood exactly what she was talking about.

"Of course she's reacting badly!" Quistis shouted but Edea help up her hand to stop her.

"It is farworse than you think." Edea stated. "Rinoa is a Sorceress. Squall is…was… her knight. In past history, when a Sorceress loses her knight, she is subject to losing control of herself in her grief. We need to keep her calm, otherwise we will have to content with the fury of a Sorceress along side these terrorists."

"I'll take her to the infirmary." Irvine stated and slung one of Rinoa's limp arms around his shoulders.

"I'll go too." Selphie volunteered and she helped the sharpshooter escort the Sorceress out of the room.

"Garden's not gonna like this." Zell said and at once everyone turned to look at them. "They're gonna blame the Esthariansfor what happened."

"Unfortunately, it is time the rest of Garden knew exactly what is happening." Cid stated gravely. "I will see to it that they understand the Estharians had nothing to do with what has just taken place; that the terrorists who framed him are also responsible for everything that has happened today."

Laguna didn't respond, only nodding numbly as he supported Ellone, who was sobbing helplessly onto his shoulder. Cid understood how the man felt; a father should never have to think his child dead before him; it wasn't the order of things. No doubt Laguna was feeling as helpless as his niece was. "All we can do is wait for the report to come in." Cid assured him. "Everything else is out of our hands."

"I know…" Laguna stated quietly. "It's just…how did everything go so wrong?"

"I don't think this is the end of it somehow." Quistis said and everyone turned to look at her. "I have a very bad feeling and it's telling me that it's only just begun."

* * *

He considered himself extremely lucky – having been knocked into his seat during the crash. 

While he had been yelling at the pilot to get control, he heard an argument ensuing between Leonhart and Logans but before he could do anything about it, Leonhart had thrust Logans out of the plane and assumed his casting stance. Before he could follow though, he had grabbed the SeeD from behind, pulling him away from the closed door and moments later, the plane had crashed.

But that was all in the past. Right now he had a report to file.

He frisked himself for his cellular phone and, upon locating it, dialled a familiar number. After a couple of rings, someone – the woman from before – answered. "What is it?"

"I'd like to file my report." Schipner stated. "The plane we were on was making a detour to headquarters, but ended up crashing. I'm freezing my ass off over here in the Tundra."

"What about the mission?" the woman asked. "The targets?"

"Logans got thrown from the plane before the crash." Schipner explained. "He's either dead or somewhere close by. Either way, he won't survive out here for long."

"What about the other one?"

At this, Schipner turned his attention towards the prone figure lying in the snow behind him. When he had managed to pull himself out of the wreckage of the plane he had also located him lying unconscious, probably having bumped his head during the crash, a cut that was bleeding lightly being the only remaining evidence of the sudden head trauma. Schipner had had to drag the body out of the plane wreckage, knowing that once the flames of the fire hit the fuel tank, the plane would go up like fireworks. By all rights, he had been sorely tempted to just leave him behind and claim that he really had been killed since he had been the one responsible for the crash in the first place, but had thought better of it; it wouldn't be a good thing to piss off the man in charge – not by a long shot.

The dark haired youth that was left lying in the snow beneath him was soundly unconscious – for that Schipner was glad. The last thing he wanted to do was struggle with the brat; that would definitely alert Logans to their location and, as much as he'd love to shoot the fucker, he had more pressing things to deal with.

"Don't worry; I pulled him out of the plane before it exploded. He's alive, but unconscious and shouldn't be a problem."

"Good. There's a cavern you can duck into approximately thirty meters from your current location. I'll meet you there within the next ten minutes."

Schipner smiled. "As long as you get here soon; I think I've lost all feeling in my feet."

The woman didn't respond and simply hung up, the dial tone the only thing left behind. Replacing his cellular inside of his pocket, he reflected that he should have brought a better jacket, but shrugged it off before grabbing the teenager once more, half holding, and half-dragging Squall Leonhart's unconscious form further away from the crash site and closer to where he knew his comrades would be waiting, all they while counting himself lucky that the snowfall would cover their tracks..

_**

* * *

**_

5:20:03

* * *

According to the medical staff, Rinoa had been sedated and allowed to rest in the infirmary for the time being. Selphie and Irvine were currently with her, just in case it wasn't enough to keep her out. Quistis had remained behind, as had Nida and Zell, and the Headmaster was in the middle of a phone call – contacting Balamb Garden and explaining the delay in their return. Quistis had no idea what the Garden's reaction to Squall's death was, nor did she particularly care at the moment.

_I just hope that Rinoa's grief doesn't cause another Ultimecia…_

She knew it was somewhat insensitive to think such a thing. Everyone deserved to grief the death of a loved one and Rinoa was no exception, but Matron's words haunted her; to know that every Sorceress who had lost their knight had had their powers slip their control was a disheartening thing.

Suddenly, the com system installed into the President's desk beeped and Laguna answered it. Ellone had been escorted to the infirmary with Edea, and Quistis wanted to know how she was currently doing, but the fact that something had just come in was also pressing. Despite her best efforts, she hoped they ground team had managed to find Squall alive and well. Zell and Nida were thinking along the same lines from what she could tell – both had looked up at the sound of the com system beeping.

"Yes?" Laguna asked, trying to keep the hope from resounding in his voice. He wasn't very successful though.

"Sir, we've surveyed all of the security footage from the entire building and have found something disturbing." The security detail answered on the other end and everyone else slumped back in frustration. Laguna smiled sheepishly at all of them before resuming the conversation.

"And? What did you find?"

"At approximately 1615 this afternoon, the surveillance system inside of the missile base was shut down. We have just alerted Agent Oakwood, who has left to investigate."

"Good. I want a report on why the surveillance system shut down." Laguna stated and cut the transmission short. Sighing irritated, he fell back into his seat. "From bad to worse, huh?"

"Does this remind anyone else of the Missile Base in Galbadia?" Zell asked. Quistis didn't know why he was bringing it up; he had been on the team to report to the Headmaster about the missiles. Still, she nodded in response whereas Nida just appeared puzzled.

"The Sorceress launched missiles at both Balamb and Trabia Gardens nearly five months ago. Selphie, Irvine and myself infiltrated the base and were able to lower the accuracy ratio of the missiles launched at B-Garden, though we were too late to do anything for Trabia."

Quistis explained for Nida's benefit more than to answer Zell's question. "Why?"

"Don't you think it's a little odd?" Zell asked, leaning forward into his chair. "You know; that we receive notice that Squall's plane crashed, and then we get Intel that there's something up at the Missile Base?"

Quistis went to tell Zell exactly how paranoid he was being but immediately snapped her mouth shut when she realized that he was right. There was a possibility that the terrorists managed to sneak back into the Residence undetected and secure the Missile Base, which would give them the opportunity to launch Missiles at any place in the world. To make matters worse, Esthar, already in hot water with the Galbadians, would be blamed for the whole thing.

_If the terrorists shoot Missiles at Galbadia, then a war will break out for sure._ Quistis thought to herself. _We can't let that happen. Squall did all of this just to prevent a war from breaking out; there's no way I'll stand aside and let his work be all in vain._  
"Laguna, can you contact Deilia? Tell her I'll meet her there."

Zell and Nida stared at the former Instructor as she made her way through the door of the Presidential Office, the door closing shut before they could ask her about her decision.

* * *

Estharian crafts had managed to make it to the crash site within fifteen minutes of being sent out. Because it had been a transport mission, the plane traveling towards the Shumi Village had been a lower standard one and would have taken two hours to arrive at the Winter Island. Because the Estharian military possesses air-crafts that are faster than regular transport flyers, they managed to get to the crash site far faster. 

So far they hadn't been able to find anything besides debris. If any of the terrorists had survived and tried to escape, their prints weren't showing, possibly due to the snow that continued to descend from the sky. If there had been any tracks made, they were covered up by now and without a trail, they had no way of finding them.

"Sir! We've found a body!"

The Captain of the team, Jonah Bartona, moved towards a squad who had been searching under the debris of the ruined plane, only to find an arm. The team was desperately trying to pry the prone figure from underneath the rubble and after a few good tries, they managed to succeed, Jonah's expression turning grim. The man they found was none other than James Logans, Chief of Security, and he didn't look like he was in good shape. His clothes were torn, there were cuts and bruises from where the debris had fallen on top of him, and there were burn marks from the torso down. It looked as though he had been caught when the fuel tank exploded.

Jonah quickly checked for a pulse and was thankful to find one, though it was loosing stride too quickly for Jonah's taste. "Get a medic over here!" Jonah shouted and one of his men did as he was told, leaving to complete his task, even when another shout distracted Jonah from Logans' body.

"Sir, we've found another body!"

Jonah quickly moved towards the other side of the plane and indeed found what his comrade had. The body was pretty ruined; the victim having burned during the explosion. He had no idea whether or not the man had been a pilot or a passenger; the body was lying on the ground behind the seat of the plane, and when he turned the corpse over, he and his comrade stepped back, the smell being too much for them. The face was unrecognizable – aside from Logans, it could have been any of the other passengers.

Pulling out his comlink, he established connection with an open channel and waited a moment until someone answered. "Patch me through to the Presidential Office; I need to file my report."

* * *

He watched the sequences unfold with great interest, never having guessed that the SeeD's so-called death would hurt everyone as greatly as it had, despite being implicated in a homicide. It seemed as though many of the staff had admired the teen. True, he had expected Loire to grief, and even the SeeD's friends, but never had he thought the rest of the cabinet or the security force would have taken it quite so hard. 

_But no matter,_ he thought to himself. _The more people grieving for Leonhart, the easier our take over shall become._

He had already contacted O'Ryan and given him the signal he needed to launch the missiles, wondering what the world's reaction would be when they hit their target. If Leonhart's demise had proven to grieve strike this many people, imagine the damage the next phase would accomplish. He just couldn't wait.

He had received a message from one of his people, telling him of Schipner's success in securing the prisoner, and had given him co-ordinates to the meeting place. The plane crash had definitely been unexpected, but now it would serve to cover their tracks. When he finally met the SeeD face to face, he'd have to thank him for that little diversion; had he not stopped Schipner from killing Logans, the Estharians would immediately track down the missing SeeD.

Since he didn't have a camera positioned over the meeting grounds, he simply sat back and clasped his hands together, waiting for the call that he would inevitably receive.

* * *

It was still snowing when Schipner and his prisoner had arrived at the rendezvous point ten minutes after he'd made his phone call; a small cavern further east of where they had crashed. Though grateful his tracks were being covered, he was still somewhat spiteful of the weather – Schipner had never quite liked the cold. 

He turned his attention towards the SeeD, finding that he was still unconscious and found himself wondering when it would be that the teenager would awaken. He knew he wasn't dead; he'd repeated checked the boy's pulse on the way to the cavern, Whatever he'd hit his head on, Schipner hoped he'd gotten himself a concussion; if it weren't for him, he'd still be on the plane and Logans would have been disposed of.

_No matter, _he thought to himself. _Logans_ _will die with his bitch and the rest of the so-called government in due time._

He wondered what thebrat would think when he found himself captured by the very people who had set him up. He would probably be outraged by the act, and knowing that Schipner had tried to set him up as a mastermind back on the plane wouldn't bode well for him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy taunting the young fool. He did murder the true leader of Esthar, and right now he was getting exactly what he deserved for it.

He couldn't understand his faith in the Estharian Government though; the SeeD had merely been co-operating with the Estharians in the hopes they would discover that he was innocent of the charges set against him, and had even tried to save Logans when the man thought him to be a lying terrorist. It was sort of admirable, but irritating at the same time.

He heard the sound of a motor sounding off in the distance and poked his head out of his warm hideaway, his ears immediately protesting from the cold as he saw a motor vehicle making its way straight towards his location. He stepped outside of the cavern and waved his arms frantically into the air, hoping to catch her attention. It seemed as though she had as the vehicle turned towards him, stopping a mere few feet away from him.

Having gained her attention, Schipner folded his arms across his chest in an attempt to keep warm. "He's in the cavern. Go get him yourself; I've had to drag his ass over here for the last thirty minutes."

The woman, approximately late thirties with long red hair and dressed in bluish purple armour and a matching hooded poncho to keep her warm, inclined her head towards the cavern, and two men – dressed exactly like herself – went running inside, emerging a moment later carrying the SeeD, his arms draped around each of their shoulders and his head lolled in front of him, before placing him inside of the vehicle. "He's in pretty bad shape, Erana." One of the men stated simply.

The woman, Erana, raised an eyebrow and Schipner simply shrugged. "Hit is head when the plane crashed. If you ask me, the little prick deserved it."

"Nevertheless, the 'little prick' as you so adequately called him, needs be kept alive."

"Oh he's alive." Schipner responded. "He's just unconscious. I wouldn't have been able to bring him here myself if he hadn't been knocked out."

Erana paused in her rebuttal, and simply shrugged and moved towards the motor vehicle, Schipner doing the same. She climbed into the passenger seat positioned at the very back of the vehicle, but when Schipner went to follow suit, he noted that the two men were seated beside one another and across from them lay Leonhart, whose body was taking up the remaining two seats. A third man sat beside the driver, which indicated that all seats were taken.

"Move Leonhart." Schipner stated through a scowl.

"Don't feel like it." Erana said with a shrug.

"Then how the hell am I supposed to get in?" he started but froze when Erana held a gun to his forehead.

"You figure it out." She said and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Quistis had arrived at the Estharian Missile Base a couple of minutes before Deilia, and had taken the moment to marvel at the differences of Galbadian and Estharian technology. Almost everything was completed through holographic controls, though the interior of the room was far shabbier than the rest of the building. Still, if work was to be done, one wasn't about to focus solely on the walls. 

The former Instructor had only just begun to inspect the bodies that lay on the floor beyond when Deilia finally arrived, taking in the situation with the same grim expression Quistis was wearing. Finally spying Quistis, she approached the SeeD, who shook her head in response to the unvoiced question – the soldiers were dead.

"I appreciate your help, by the way." Deilia said, offering the younger woman a small smile. Quistis nodded in responseand searched the premises for more bodies, finding two more near a set of controls. Both were head shots and Quistis wondered exactly what kind of human being would just waltz right into a room and start shooting at people.

"I think I've discovered why surveillance didn't pick anything up." Deilia shouted from where she stood and Quistis looked up to see her fiddling with a monitor. "The surveillance cameras were shut off, probably so we couldn't see what the assailant was up to."

"There's only one reason anyone would infiltrate a Missile Base." Quistis stated before turned around and examining the controls near the two bodies. The controls looked as though they had been destroyed from the inside out, and when she tried to press a couple of buttons, she frowned when nothing happened.

"Surveillance has been re-established." Deilia's voice sounded, though Quistis wasn't paying any attention. Instead she looked up to the monitor and found the display; a small timer counting backwards from three minutes.

Her stomach sank like a stone as she tried to look for a switch that would abort the count down. She couldn't find one and turned to Deilia, catching her attention. "Do you know how to shut this thing off?"

Deilia spied the clock and her eyes widened in shock, jumping off the landing where the surveillance devices were located and landing a few feet in front of Quistis. She too searched the terminal before finding the appropriate button and slamming her fist on top of it. Quistis looked up to see if it had worked and frowned as the timer reached one minute, thirty seconds.

"We need to warn whoever these Missiles are aimed for!" Deilia shouted, looking around furiously. She scanned the room for a moment before pointing towards another smaller monitor. "Over there! The co-ordinates readout should be over there. Contact the people in that area and tell them to get the hell outta there."

Quistis did as she was told, rushing towards the machine and picking up the phone, frowning when no dial tone came through. She tried pressing a couple of buttons, only to find that the device in her hand didn't work. She searched the object and realized that the phone wire was cut, probably by the man responsible for the launch. "The phone's dead!"

"They must have cut the wire." Deilia shouted in frustration before activating a device and speaking in hurried Estharian to whoever it was she was trying to contact. Quistis took a look at the readouts and her stomach sank to her feet when she recognized them, even as the countdown reached less than a minute and the automated voice took hold of the silence, alerting them that the missiles would hit their target within that time.

"My God…" Quistis whispered in morbid shock.

Just as the timer passed the sixty seconds time limit, the large screen changed, displaying the location that the missiles were aimed to hit.

* * *

The Commander was grabbing as many folders as he could, all of them containing surveillance photographs for what he wished to discuss with the Headmaster. Xu was standing in the doorway, waiting for him. 

"Do you think now is really the time?" Xu asked from her vintage point. "From how the Headmaster sounded on the phone, he was pretty upset."

"I need to address this immediately; it's a security measure. I wish I could delay it, but there's no chance of that happening." The Commander stated.

Before Xu could make another comment, the long screen located at the Commanders right suddenly blinked on and diverted both of their attention to it. The screen displayed a location and both occupants of the room exchanged glances, wondering why they were viewing the familiar landscape.

* * *

Inside of Galbadia Garden, all activity had stopped from students and faculty alike as every screen that was within the building displayed a specific building, one of which they didn't believe held any relevance to what they were doing at the moment. Martine, who had been re-instated as the Headmaster and Garden Master of the Garden, rose from his desk as the SeeDs he was speaking with at the moment turned their attention to the monitor, all three of which held bad feelings about the display.

* * *

Ibrihim stared at the screen in shock, having just been about to contact the Dollet Authorities to ask after the surveillance tapes he had sent, only to see a landscape of which he had never seen before, but having obtained a lot of knowledge about within the last four months. He frowned, not liking what he was seeing or the foreboding feeling he was receiving from the image.

* * *

Esthar, Balamb, Trabia, Timber, Galbadia, Dollet; everywhere and anywhere that possessed a television screen or a holographic monitor displayed the exact same image. Even his screens had shifted to the lone building he knew was about to be destroyed. He smiled to himself and clasped his hands together in anticipation. "Let the fireworks begin."

* * *

Irvine stared at the holographic image placed before him in dull shock, trying to keep his exclamations quiet – he didn't want to wake up Rinoa, Hyne knew she needed her rest. But he had no idea why the building he was seeing was being viewed at this point in time – he had just been watching the news for any sign of news updates (he'd wanted to know exactly what the public was being told) when the screen simply changed. 

"Irvy?"

Irvine jumped up at the sound of the familiar voice and noticed Selphie standing in the doorway; a soda can in hand as her eyes became glued to the screen. Irvine stared at her in horror; this was definitely something he didn't want the girl to see.

Selphie tilted her head to the side questioningly, her eyes still staring at the holographic screen. "Why's Trabia Garden on TV?"

Irvine jumped to his feet but before he could usher the small girl out of the room, something finally changed within the minute he had been sitting watching the Bika Fields on television. Something that was moving extremely fast raced passed whatever camera fixture was positioned just outside of the Garden before flying up into the air, smoke being the only thing that told the sharpshooter that he hadn't hallucinated the movement. His stomach dropped as the objects fell from the sky and landed on top of the Garden, a large explosion shaking the screen and dust flying right towards it.

Selphie's jaw dropped in horror as the can dropped from her hand, which landing onto the ground and rolling towards the foot of the bed. Irvine caught her as her legs gave out, supporting her as they both watched the screen anxiously for any sign of what happened. Finally, the dust began to clear away and Selphie's breathing quickened as both took in the sight:

Trabia Garden had been completely destroyed.

The weight of the attack sunk in; all of the hard work that had gone into repairing the structure after the Missile launch in Galbadia had taken out most of the building, leaving a few hundred survivors to sort through the mess; everyone's hard work and determination to see the structure stand proudly as it once had was reduced to rubble within a mere moment. Irvine's hands clenched into fists even as he struggled to contain his temper. The thousands of people who had seen to the rebuild of the Garden were going to see this as a declaration of War from Esthar. The people who were actually living inside the structure while it was being rebuilt were probably all dead; nothing was left of the building, absolutely nothing.

He was dimly aware that Selphie was screaming in anguish, trying to deny what had happened, and he felt for her. Trabia Garden had been her home for most of her life, and it had almost killed her when the missiles from Galbadia had hit it barely four months ago. Irvine didn't know how she was going to recover from this tragedy –the only home she had ever truly known had just been destroyed right before her own eyes.

The doctors had come running as soon as they heard the screaming, but had stopped in the doorway as Irvine tried to console the crying girl in his arms as she wailed at the loss of her friends and family, as she questioned the Garden's destruction to begin with.

* * *

"The missiles were automated." Deilia spoke through the comlink. Laguna was currently listening to the report as he stared dumbly at the picture his own holographic screen was displaying in front of him. "Whoever did this set the Missiles to go off by a controller of some kind. The timer wasn't to activate the missile; it was counting down to when the missiles would hit their target." 

"What about the override?" Laguna asked, Cid, Edea standing behind him.

"The override controls were completely destroyed; we couldn't do anything to stop it."

Laguna sighed in disbelief. "How am I supposed to explain what happened to the citizens of this country, let alone the victims families, and the remaining two Gardens for that matter? That we had an intruder waltz into our missile base, activate our missiles and shoot them at an unsuspecting target who probably only had a few seconds warning that they were about to be killed."

"I believe the terrorists wanted this to happen." Quistis voice sounded from the loudspeaker. "They wanted the world to believe that Esthar planned the attack. From where it stands, the Gardens aren't going to want to listen to excuses. It doesn't matter if it's the truth; they'll just blame Estharian security for the slip up. Either way, the terrorists are just asking for a war to break out between the Gardens and Esthar."

"We can't let that happen!" Zell shouted, stopping in mid stride as he had begun to pace again. Nida just sat beside the President's desk, his features contorted into shock. "We gotta tell the Commander that it wasn't the government's fault!"

"I will be the one to deal with that, Zell." Cid stated firmly. "We are not pawns to these people; Garden will have no part in playing the role of a vengeful force. Not only would it demean the Gardens, but it would make Squall's co-operation during the circumstances all in vain. We can't allow that to happen."

"I hate to be the barer of bad news but I guess I've gotten pretty good at that."

Everyone looked up to see Kiros entering the room with Ward in tow. Neither of them appeared too happy about what they were about to say. "According to our reports, the citizens are blaming the Gardens for the attack."

"What?" Edea gasped and Zell looked floored by the news.

"They think that one of your people broke into the missile base and set the missiles in order to make Esthar look bad." Kiros continued. "I don't know what's going to happen, but the possibility that they could push for retaliation is pretty high."

Ward made a face and Kiros nodded. "But that's not the only bad news we have."

"Of course not," Laguna said, slouching into his chair. "What is it?"

"The team we sent to the crash site finally reported back to us." Kiros stated. "They found the plane, and two bodies."

Everyone exchanged horrified glances even as Kiros continued. "One of them was unidentifiable; probably burned up during the explosion, but the other one is alive. James Logans is in critical condition and the med-staff are currently treating his injuries. From the looks of it, he was caught in the planes explosion. We don't know if he's going to make it."

"But how'd he get out of the plane?" Zell asked.

Kiros just shook his head. "We won't know until Logans wakes up. If he does, that is."

"Let's hope that he does." Laguna stated gravely. "Are you attempting to ID the body you found?"

"We sent his body to the morgue. Right now, the examiner is looking into it. I'll give you a report once we find out."

"Good."

"Is it just me," Nida started, speaking for the very first time since Trabia Garden was hit. "or does anyone else think that it's awfully convenient? You know, that Squall's plane crashes little under an hour before Trabia Garden was bombed."

"Do you think Garden's being attack or something?" Zell asked, to which Nida shook his head.

"More like Garden's being pushed to go up against Esthar." Nida said. "Someone wants a war to break out and is pulling all the stops just to see it go through."

"Did you hear that?" Laguna asked suddenly.

"Loud and clear, boss." Deilia's voice broke in. "I'll be sure to assist in the investigation."

"And I'll help." Quistis offered.

Laguna simply shook his head. "I don't think that'd be a good idea, Quistis. If Esthar really thinks you guys are responsible for the missile launch, then you need to get out of the country. As much as I'd appreciate your help, the fact is your staying here would only cause more trouble."

"Understood." Cid stated, and there was no indication that he had been insulted by the request. "Quistis, meet us at the Ragnarok. We'll leave as soon as you arrive."

"Understood sir," Quistis stated, though she sounded hesitant to do so. "Over an out."

_**

* * *

**_

5:50:07

* * *

He watched in amusement as the Gardens went into an uproar, screaming for Esthar's blood in atonement for their supposed actions. He was surprised that no one had seen it coming, after all, the Garden had been bombed once before. That's what he admired about Estharian technology; while the Galbadian missiles had only partially destroyed the structure, the Estharian missiles had made it so the Garden could never be reconstructed.

_And all the lives that have been lost today…_ he thought to himself in self-satisfaction.

Switching to look into the Estharian's response to the attack, he found that, rather than worry about SeeD's retaliation, they were blaming them for the attack; exclaiming that because one of their own was in their custody that they felt to make the rest of the world hate them as well. He couldn't have planned it better himself.

And not only that, Erana had reported in, stating that the SeeD whom practically caused all of this to take place was safely in their custody and that Schipner had been dealt with. Things were finally getting back on track. If it hadn't been for some unfortunate circumstances, they could have moved forward with the plan a long time earlier while maintaining cover, but he much preferred it this way to the original. He'd have to thank his current 'guest' the next time they were face to face with one another.

And he'd definitely have to thank the SeeD for his part; had he not chosen to surrender himself, the impact of his 'death' wouldn't have been nearly as massive as it was. True he was of course still alive, but the public needn't know that right away. The SeeD, though a liability, wasn't exactly his true target. He would be made to pay for his crimes against Adel later, but for now he would be forced to watch as his father suffered under such hard times. And, of course, he had no idea what happened to Trabia, so he would need to be informed about it. After all, his death had been the perfect distraction; it allowed O'Ryan to get in and out without being spotted by anyone important. They were, after all, busy grieving him at the time.

Sitting back, he couldn't wait for his puppets to act; even as he watched the SeeDs leave Esthar via the Ragnarok – their once proud flag ship. From what he had witnessed inside of Garden, another problem was about to be eliminated from the equation.

**

* * *

**

The Time is now 6 p.m.

* * *


	17. 17th Hour

**

* * *

**

The Following takes place between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

* * *

The Director sighed as he watched the rest of the cabinet bicker amongst one another, also noticing two seats left unoccupied. Harold Schipner was presumed missing, having been on the plane escorting Leonhart to the Shumi Village and Christine Lockhart had been excused from the meeting upon discovering James Logans in critical condition.

He understood exactly why the cabinet was in an uproar; the attack against Trabia Garden could very well be seen as a hostile action on their part; that they no longer SeeD as an ally and wish to go to war to against them. The citizens were also seeing it as an attack against them; that SeeD would go so far as to destroy their own Garden and blame it on the Estharian government. Either way it looked bad and the Director had no clue as to what the President planned to do about it. He just hoped President Loire could think of something – another war so soon after the Sorceress crisis would destroy them all.

* * *

Christine stared through the glass at her boyfriend's motionless body; burns and scars horribly marring his physique as the doctors treated him, watching as his chest rose and fell but not at the speed it normally should have. She felt stupid for the little arguments they had had during the last sixteen hours, and wished she could somehow get them back. 

"And you say _I_ rush headlong into trouble," she whispered, her voice breaking as she made the movement.

She hadn't stopped crying when she had heard the plane had exploded, and had cried harder when she found out he had survived it somehow, both in relief and in sadness, especially when they had first brought him in. Apparently, he had woken up during the flight, but had to be put back under, the trauma of the burns was so painful that he shouldn't have had to go through it.

"I kept my promise." Christine said. "Now it's time for you to do the same for me. Stay with me, please."

"I feel for you." A voice said from behind and Christine saw Kiros standing grimly behind her, staring at James' body. She knew the both of them got along well; they were almost like brothers to one another, almost as close as Kiros and the President were, and simply turned back around without questioning his sudden appearance. "I hope he gets better too." He continued. "Not just so we can find out what happened, but… it'd be different if he didn't make it."

Christine nodded in agreement. James was quiet, but he loved his job and was devoted to it. He enjoyed protecting those who couldn't had enjoyed it for a very long time. She supposed that was the reason she was attracted to him in the first place, because he liked to help people as much as she did, though they both did it in their own way. "Thank you." She said and Kiros nodded back. "Give my regards to the President, for his loss."

She had heard the rumours spouting; that James had been the sole survivor of that plane crash, and that everyone wondered exactly how it was he had managed to escape while the others had been trapped inside. She wondered how he had managed it as well, but she was willing to wait until after he woke up to find out, no matter how long she was forced to wait, just as long as he did. "I hope James will wake up in time to help with this investigation." She said sincerely. "If Squall really is innocent like he has been saying all along, I want the people responsible for this brought to justice."

Kiros nodded once again and, after a moment, a thoughtful expression crosses his features. Christine watched the change from the reflection of the glass before turning to look at him curiously. "What is it?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure about this, but…" Kiros turned to look at her again. "when he came in, what were James' clothes like?"

"Torn mostly." Christine answered in confusion. "There were a couple of intact pieces, but otherwise they were in bad shape. Why? What are you thinking?"

"Do you know where the med team put them?"

"In the closet down the hallway." Christine said. "What are you thinking, Kiros?"

"I have an idea; I just hope I'm right about this." Kiros said as he sprinted off down the hallway, leaving Christine behind to wonder just what the hell happened.

* * *

Ibrihim didn't know what he was going to do; ever since the impromptu broadcast that showed Trabia Garden's destruction, his men had become eager to go into war once again, claiming that Esthar was back to its tyrannical ways. Ibrihim did not believe this to be the case; Laguna had served in the same military that fought against Adel and her supporters, Laguna had even gone so far as to infiltrate Esthar and take her out of power himself. There had to be something else, and Ibrihim would be money that it had something to do with Squall Leonhart's frame up. 

He had tried contacting Esthar's private line, only to find it busy, so he patched into a frequency that he knew would be available. After a couple of seconds, someone answered the call. "Ragnarok team here."

"I would like to speak to Cid Kramer."

"Just a moment." The line went dead for a second before a _click_ and then Cid's voice came on the line, though he sounded a lot more tired than he had the last time they spoke. "This is Cid Kramer."

"Cid, this is Ibrihim." Ibrihim said quickly, closing his office door and pacing the room, his phone set to speaker. "I would like to report that my men are once again eager to take up the fight with Esthar. They believe the tyrannical rule that they once fought against is back and they wish to do something about it."

"A lot has happened since the last time we spoke today." Cid stated.

"For starters, what really happened with the bombing of Trabia Garden?" Ibrihim started. "I just received a phone call from Martine himself demanding to know the situation and what they should do about Esthar's attack."

"Esthar isn't attacking anyone." Cid said. "One of the terrorists responsible for the murders in Esthar infiltrated the Missile Base and set the launch. We were too late by the time we discovered that the surveillance cameras weren't working and Trabia was bombed."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ibrihim said slowly. First Esthar was attacked and then the Gardens became the target. Ibrihim wondered when it was going to be Galbadia's turn. "From what I've heard from Martine, they're already preparing to send a team over to survey the damages, and they'll proceed once he receives the report. Commander Greenwood from Balamb Garden has done the same."

"I don't believe they'll find anything there, but it's a good start." Cid conceded and Ibrihim could tell that something else was bothering him.

"And what about the situation with Squall? They took him to a remote location right? What does he have to say about all of this?"

There was silence on the other line for a second before Cid heaved a sigh. "Ibrihim. He's gone. Squall is dead."

At first the Galbadian President thought he had misheard the man, but even as the words began to set in he dropped backwards onto the nearest surface, which, luckily for him, turned out to be the sofa in his office. "What happened?" he managed to say at last.

"The plane he was on was apparently hijacked by the terrorists who framed him." Cid explained. "Something happened and the plane crashed in the Trabian Tundra. The only survivor was a member of Esthar's security, a man named James Logans. He's in critical condition at the moment and, at the same time, the only one who knows what happened out there."

"Did they find a body?" Ibrihim asked. It couldn't be possible; Squall was a resilient young man, there had to be a way he had survived.

"No, but the wreckage was far too extensive to be searched properly. A fire started, and once it reached the fuel tanks, the plane exploded. All we can do is wait for Logans to come out of it and tell us how it happened."

Ibrihim nodded numbly, well aware that Cid could not see him. "How…how is Rinoa…?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid." Cid said. "She didn't take the news well at all, and because of her powers, we've had to sedate her to prevent them from going out of control."

Ibrihim sighed. "Send her my regards…and you all have my condolences."

"We're on our way back to Garden in order to oversee the damages of Trabia's destruction. Might I also ask a favour?" Cid asked, to which Ibrihim looked up. "That you not repeat what I have told you about Squall to your military. They were originally riled up when he was arrested from your country, and the news of his death in Estharian custody would probably be the trigger to force them to go to war with Esthar, with our without your consent."

"Yes…yes of course. I won't say a word about it to my men."

"Thank you, Ibrihim, and good luck."

The only thing that Cid left behind when he hung up the phone was the dial tone.

_**

* * *

**_

6:25:12

* * *

"We're nearly there." Nida said from behind the piloting controls. Because of Selphie's reaction to Trabia Garden's destruction, she simply sat in one of the passenger seats, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. Irvine sat next to her, and she rested her head against his shoulder, despite the height differences.

"No one sees the connection between the attacks on both the Garden and Esthar." Quistis sighed out loud. "They're too busy trying to pit the blame on the other, and it looks as though the rest of the world agrees with Garden."

"Laguna is going to have his work cut out for him." Edea stated, who was sitting in the very back of the cockpit. The lift rose up and Cid emerged, apparently finished with his phone call with President Caraway.

"Well?" Quistis asked and Cid sighed.

"Caraway knows what happened. Both with the Garden and with Squall."

No one spoke for a moment, the death of their comrade still fresh in their minds. Finally, it was Zell who broke the silence. "And?"

"He won't alert the General or the army of Squall's passing." Cid explained. "It would be the final trigger to start a war and we don't need that right now. Not only would it ruin everyone financially, but it wasn't at all what Squall would have wanted."

"He didn't want to trigger a war, and yet his death might just do that." Quistis chuckled bitterly. "How ironic."

"Those terrorists set it up that way." Irvine commented and Selphie simply nodded. "Squall's the major factor that connects Garden and Esthar together."

"Galbadia might actually be the next target." Quistis said allowed and, when everyone turned to look at her, she elaborated. "Squall has a connection with Galbadia as well. Not just through Rinoa either; Caraway respects him as a capable individual."

"'Course." Zell shrugged. "He wouldn't be dating Rinoa otherwise; Caraway wouldn't let him."

Everyone in the cockpit ignored Zell's comment entirely.

"Just making the final landing preparations…" Nida said and soon enough, the Ragnarok was descending on the Balambi plains, a mere few feet away from Balamb Garden. The cockpit bounced a bit as the landing gear touched the ground before Nida flicked off the engine. "Alright. Everybody out."

No one said anything else to each other as they made their way back of the Garden, Irvine carrying Rinoa on his back as they did. They managed to pass through the front gate simply enough without any conversation, but as soon as they reached the turnstiles, they found Xu and Commander Greenwood standing there to greet them, both with grim expressions on their faces.

"You don't think they know, do you?" Zell asked and Irvine shook his head.

"Doubt it. I didn't hear Cid tell them what happened, do you?"

This time, it was Zell's turn to shake his head. As they made their way over towards them, Zell began to wonder if it had anything to do with what the Commander wanted to speak to the Headmaster about.

"Headmaster." The Commander stated curtly. "Might I have a moment with you in private?"

"Conrad, if this is about what you need to speak to me about, feel free to say what you need to say in front of the others." Cid stated. "We've all had a rough day and they were there when you initially stated you would like a word with me."

"Very well." The Commander stated agitatedly. Taking in a deep breathe, he moved towards the Headmaster before standing so they were face to face. "They deserve to know why I need to speak to you. Please, everyone come to my office."

Zell caught Quistis and Selphie exchanging glances and Nida looking confused. Irvine muttered under his breath that it didn't sound like good news, but Zell was wondering why they deserved to know if the Commander wanted to speak to the Headmaster in private in the first place. Something didn't seem to add up and the brawler wasn't exactly sure he wanted to find out.

They stopped right in front of the Commander's office and Commander Greenwood turned to address everyone. Xu stood off to the right, with a somewhat subdued expression upon her face and the foreboding feeling returned to the pit of Zell's stomach.

"First things first." The Commander said. "What happened with Trabia Garden?"

"The terrorists who framed Squall were responsible for it." Cid explained. "One of them infiltrated the Missile Base and launched the missiles remotely. There wasn't much the Estharian government could do by the time we all discovered what had happened."

"I see…" the Commander stated, but he didn't sound as though he believed a word of it. "And what is the status on Squall?"

"He was to be escorted to another location after an attempt on his life occurred. The plane he was on crashed and the only known survivor is in critical condition. We won't know what happens until after he wakes up."

"Unfortunate." Conrad said and Zell felt the urge to punch the bastard. What the hell was his problem with Squall anyway?

"So what is it that you need to speak to me about?" Cid asked, changing the subject.

"At 0825 this morning, we apprehended an intruder who infiltrated the Garden and was spotted searching through our computer terminals for something." Commander Greenwood explained. Zell and Irvine exchanged puzzled glances and Quistis' expression hardened at the thought of an intruder. "We interrogated him, but the only thing he told us was that you gave him permission to enter the Garden."

"Who was the intruder?" Cid asked, apparently ignoring the looks he was receiving from everyone around him.

The Commander nodded and opened the door to his office, gesturing for them all to enter. However, he only made it barely past the threshold when he stopped, a scowl gracing his features as he took in the office.

Apart from a desk positioned in front of a set of windows, a bookshelf sectioned off to the side wall, a monitor on the opposite wall and a few chairs, the office was practically bare. The normally paper-clad desk was clear, but not vacant, as a man who couldn't have been older than twenty sat in the revolving chair, his feet propped up on the wooden surface. His hands were clasped behind his hooded head, and he appeared to have been bored until they suddenly arrived.

Upon seeing the other man, Zell lunged forward, intending to attack the man but was held back by Nida and Edea. Quistis' eyes narrowed dangerously as she recognized who it was and Selphie simply exchanged confused glances with Irvine. The bastard looked different in the different clothes and the hood covering his hair, but Zell recognized his faceat the drop of a hat.

"You gutter munching sonovabitch!" Zell shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Now, now, Chickenwuss." Seifer Almasy said, waving a figure tauntingly in his direction. "Does your mother know you kiss her with that mouth?"

Zell attempted to lunge at him again, screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs. Seifer simply barked out a laugh, but he removed himself from his position at the desk, He withdrew the hood, revealing his customary short blonde hair, and the scar Squall had given him during their training session was as noticeable as the day he had first received it. "Don't need that anymore." He muttered as he removed the sweater, revealing that he wore his customary blue muscle shirt with a white cross underneath.

"You have some nerve coming back here." Quistis remarked and Seifer simply shrugged.

"Don't worry; I didn't have any intention of returning, _Instructor_." Seifer sneered, and Quistis clenched her fists in response. "If it wasn't for your Headmaster, I'd still be at home and none of you would have been the wiser to my location."

At this, everyone turned to stare at the Headmaster, who simply kept his gaze even with Seifer. "It's nice to see you made it here alright, Seifer."

"Yeah, but some reception." Seifer shook his head. "If this were a hotel, I'd want my money back for the way I've been treated."

"So it's true." Xu asked, speaking for the first time since they had come back. "You really did invite him back here."

When Cid simply nodded back, Zell thought his world was crumbling around him. The one bastard who had tried to kill them all four months ago was strutting around the Garden as though he owned the place. _How come this bastard gets to live and Squall's…_

Zell broke off the thought before he could finish it, mentally remarking that the world just wasn't fair.

"But…why?" Quistis asked, sounding disgusted with the decision.

"Because I believed he deserved a chance." Cid explained. "Seifer was a student here when Ultimecia brought him into her ranks. He was being manipulated by her powers. Not all of what he had done were actions done by his own accord. Even if he was a troublemaker, his actions during the war were not his fault."

"Hey, I'm standing right here." Seifer snapped indignantly.

"Nevertheless, I feel he deserves a second chance."

"He's a war criminal!" The Commander said in outrage. "He tried to kill the previous Commander and the rest of SeeD during the war and you believe he deserves another chance? With all due respect, he deserves to be lynched for what he's done."

"I repeat my last statement." Seifer folded his arms across his chest and scowled when no one responded.

"You simply thought you could sneak him in here and not have to face the consequences?" The Commander was seething in anger by this point.

"On the contrary." Cid stated simply. "I intend to face the consequences of my actions. I knew if I were to bring the idea to you, Conrad, you would have vetoed it immediately afterwards. I honestly felt as though Seifer deserved a second chance—"

"According to his file, he's received many 'second chances'." The Commander snapped back.

"Aw… you've been studying." Seifer said mockingly.

"You shut your mouth." The Commander snapped at Seifer before whirling on the Headmaster. "So despite that you believe what you have done was right, you're still willing to face the consequences?"

"I am always willing deal with the consequences of my actions, Conrad." Cid stated simply.

"I would normally have a probationary punishment for you, Headmaster, but as it stands you breeched security and have endangered the entire populace of this Garden with your actions. Thus, I am ordering you to step down from your position as the Balamb Garden Headmaster, effective immediately."

Zell's jaw dropped and he turned to look at the others. Selphie and Nida both looked shocked, as did Irvine and Quistis looked as though she wanted to protest the punishment. Seifer just stood there, completely unaffected by the fact that he just cost the Headmaster his position in the Garden. Matron was staring at her husband uncertainly, though Cid also didn't seem to be affected by the decision.

"That sounds like a fair punishment." Cid stated and Quistis whirled on him, the look on her face telling him he must be joking. Cid however appeared to ignore her. "I will concede to this under one condition; that Seifer remains in the Garden as a student. Under no circumstances is anyone within the Garden to treat him as though he is a criminal."

Even Seifer appeared floored by the ultimatum, and Zell could have sworn he heard Quistis question the seriousness behind the condition. The Commander's jaw dropped at the request and he looked as though he were about to decline it when the Headmaster spoke up once more. "I was the one who convinced Seifer to return. He is correct when he says he had no intention of returning, after what he was forced to do. However, I convinced him to return. In no way, shape or form, should he be punished for being persuaded by a man who only wanted to see him earn the opportunity to redeem himself."

Zell turned to look at the Commander, wondering exactly what it was he was going to do. He refused to believe that the Headmaster had a good point; Seifer was Seifer, he was never going to change, no matter how many 'second chances' anyone gave him. The Commander appeared to feel the same way, but after a moment of silence, Commander Greenwood sighed in defeat. "Alright, he can stay. I can't guarantee that everyone will treat him civilly though, but he must adhere to the rules."

"I am certain Seifer will follow the Garden rules to the letter." Cid said, though Seifer was staring at him as though he had gone insane.

"He had better." The Commander said. "Because if he breaks even one regulation, I cannot guarantee him a place here."

"I understand completely." Cid stated. "I will return to my home in Centra with my wife. You can expect my resignation faxed to you within the hour."

"I am sorry things had to be this way." Commander Greenwood stated. "But I cannot overlook this action."

"I am very sorry as well." Cid said as he left the Commander's office, Edea following closely behind her husband.

* * *

He waited patiently for his captive to arrive, hid arms folded in front of his chest expectantly. The whole addition to his otherwise perfect plan had only been because they were having difficulties restraining their current prisoner. Now that they had the SeeD, perhaps she would be a little more co-operative with her capturers for once. 

He heard the sounds of a struggle nearby and turned to watch as his men struggled with the prisoner in question; a girl with short brown hair and dressed in a long white nightgown – the only thing she had possessed when first brought there. She managed to knock one of the men restraining her down and tried to make a run for it, only to stop in her stride when the fallen soldier cast a float spell on her, the white wings lifting her up from the ground and forcing her to stay in place. His men easily grabbed a hold of her and dragged her towards him and, even though she continued to struggle, they managed to do it with ease this time.

"Well well, so nice of you to join us." He said, smiling widely at her. She returned the gesture with a scowl. "I figured you would want to see our newest guest."

"Guest?" She snorted, though she did sound surprised to hear that he had brought someone else to his hideout. "Don't you mean prisoner?"

He could understand why she was shocked to hear he had managed to capture another person; throughout the last few weeks, she'd had absolutely no idea what he had been up to, focusing more on trying to escape, as she had for the past two months already. "I see the both of you as guests. Honoured guests of course."

"A guest is someone who stays at a place willingly." The girl spat out. "What you're doing is kidnapping."

"Be that as it may, I still consider you my guest and would treat you as such if only you would behave and stay here like a good girl."

"When they realize I've gone missing…" she started, but he laughed loudly before she could finish.

"Please, my dear. You have already been here for two months. If they were going to search for you, don't you think they would have done so by now?" he snorted in pleasure, even as she turned away, still scowling up at him. Whether she was displeased with him was not the point; the scowl would be removed from her facial expression soon enough.

Finally, he caught the sight of red hair and his men stood at attention as his right hand woman arrived, flanked by three soldiers, two of which were dragging the newest prisoner with them. He frowned slightly; Erana had said something about him being unconscious, but he hadn't expected him to be in such horrible shape.

The SeeD had dark hair that obscured his hung face from view, and was dressed in the blue and white uniform that was requisitioned to him from the prisons in Esthar. He wore white running shoes and was unarmed; his weapons having been confiscated by prison security.

The girl beside him had the exact response he had hoped she would. Calling him by name, she tried to push past him, only to be restrained by the two men at either side of her.

"I must apologize for the way he comes to us," he said, as Erana came within hearing distance. "the man who managed to grab him handled him very poorly, though according to by right hand, he's been taken care of."

"His cooling body is being blanketed by the frozen snow of the Trabia Tundra, even as we speak." Erana said in answer to his question. "Even if the fools do find him, there's no link to us – the old man was so paranoid he manages to block his calls from being committed to his cellular phone's memory."

"And even if they do connect him to us, it won't matter." He stated simply. "So don't worry about your friend. From Erana's report over the phone, he is very much alive and well. The plane crash must have been responsible for knocking him unconscious is all."

The girl's eyes widened upon hearing the cause and she turned to him pleadingly, just as he thought she would. "Leave him out of this!" she begged. "He has absolutely nothing to do with this; they don't even like each other!"

"That is true, but from what we've discovered, he was trying to do everything in his power to help him. Regardless of whether they like each other or not, he is very devoted to helping him. Wouldn't you be, if it were your family, regardless of whether you liked them or not?"

The girl's scowl was back and he knew he had hit a sensitive spot. "Now, kindly begin to co-operate with us, or the SeeD will receive far worse treatment than Schipner gave him recently, and if I even hear that you've been trying to escape, I'll kill him right in front of you and his father, am I making myself clear?"

"If you kill him, then where's your insurance?" the girl tried and he simply laughed at her.

"My dear, you'll be far too devastated to even think of trying to escape." A thoughtful expression crossed his features and he nodded to his men, who withdrew a couple of knives and held them to the teenager's throat. "Which makes me believe I should kill him now and get it over with. After all, the rest of the world believes him to be dead already, so there's nothing stopping me."

"No!" the girl shouted and he turned his attention towards her.

"Well?"

At first, she was frozen in indecision, but finally she heaved a sigh. "Alright. I'll stay here. I won't try to escape."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear." He said, nodding to his men and they withdrew their weapons from their prisoner. "Take him to a cell close by the girl. I'm not completely heartless after all; you can see each other all the time from this point on. It's the absolute least I can do after separating both brother and sister for so long."

The men standing by the girl simply grabbed her by her arms and followed after the other soldiers, both prisoners being escorted to their respected holding cells.

_**

* * *

**_

6:50:01

* * *

Zell and Nidahad left with the Kramers in order to bring them back to their home in Centra, leaving Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine behind, while Rinoa lay resting inside of the dorm that had been requisitioned to her. Last they had seen him, the Commander appeared to be getting ready for something, of which none of them could quite figure out and Quistis had the distinct feeling she wasn't going to like it. All of them had moved to the cafeteria in the Southern section of the Garden, though no one was particularly hungry. It was then that the Commander's voice came on the loud speaker, disrupting whatever conversation was going around them.

"Attention everyone, this is Commander Greenwood speaking." He said loud and clear, and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, those most were reluctant in doing so. Quistis couldn't quite help but recall how easily they would have listened had Squall been the voice they were listening to right now. "The last two hours has been hard on everyone, after finding out about the murders that have taken place in Esthar and knowing that one of our own has been incarcerated for the crime. Trabia's Destruction thereafter was an even bigger tragedy."

Selphie lowered her head against the table; the only thing preventing her forehead from making any contact with the hard surface were her hands being supported by her elbows. Irvine rubbed her back consolingly, even as the announcement continued.

"But things have just taken a sudden turn for the worse." Commander Greenwood went on to say. "As most of you are well aware of by now, Seifer Almasy has been seen on the Garden grounds. He is to be treated as a student at this Garden, as per the request of Cid Kramer, and if he is seen doing anything out of the ordinary, report it to either Xu or myself. Also, Cid Kramer, as of ten minutes ago, is no longer the Headmaster of this Garden, due to security reasons."

There was an onslaught of shocked whispers that resounded throughout the cafeteria and to be honest, Quistis couldn't blame them for their surprise. Cid had been there for all of them ever since the Garden first opened. Taking Cid away from it would result in the Garden just not being the same anymore.

"Finally, the worst possible news of all," the Commander stated, oblivious to the shock his previous announcement had made. "Due to an attack within Esthar's Prisons, Squall Leonhart was to be transferred to an undisclosed location for the duration of trail preparations which was to be held in Dollet."

"He's not gonna do what I think he's gonna do, is he?" Irvine asked, his head shooting up in sudden realization.

"During the flight, the people responsible for framing our own are also responsible for the plane crashing in the Trabian Tundra. One of the Estharian security officials was found barely alive, but no one else from the flight survived the crash, or the explosion that took place there after."

"I can't believe he just went there…" Irvine said, lowering his own head, even as Quistis shushed him. The rest of the cafeteria was suddenly in an uproar, some of the students and SeeDs shocked beyond belief, others believing the news to be some kind of sick joke while the more aggressive members of the Garden population simply shouted their outrage at the very notion that their hero had been killed as a result of a hijacking.

"Whether or not the hijackers were Estharian is no longer the issue." The Commander continued to say. "The fact of the matter is, is that Squall Leonhart died because the Estharians wouldn't listen to reason. Had they believed him when he stated his innocence, he would be alive and we would be charged with the task of searching for the real perpetrators. It is Esthar's fault that Squall is dead, and it is Esthar's fault that Trabia Garden was destroyed."

"That's not what we told him." Irvine groaned.

"He didn't sound like he believed us in the first place." Quistis said.

"As it stands, Esthar has declared themselves to be at war with Garden; with SeeD! I say we stand together and bring them a war they won't soon forget!"

The cafeteria, once silent, came alive with applauds and roars of agreement, the students and SeeDs all calling for blood retribution. Quistis looked around to see if anyone at all appeared to disagree with this decision, but it seemed as though the three seated at the table together were the only ones.

"He can't just declare war!" Selphie said. "Sir Laguna wasn't responsible for the missile launch at all!"

"It's only been ten minutes since Cid was impeached and already things have gone to shit." Irvine said.

"We have to go talk to him." Selphie said. "We need to tell him that we're playing into the terrorists' hands if we go to war."

"Why don't you two go visit Rinoa?" Quistis said and both whirled around to face her.

"The Garden just went to war and you're telling us to go check on Rinoa?" Selphie asked. "What gives?"

"_I_ will speak to the Commander." Quistis said. "I think I have a way that will prevent a war from taking place."

* * *

He had made it to the locker down the hall a few minutes after leaving Christine by herself, but had spent so much time searching through cabinets and other pieces of equipment looking for James' personal items that it was driving him up the wall. What kind of organizational setting did the Estharians have anyway? 

_We can make a toaster that butters bagels, but when it comes to alphabetizing, we're pretty much useless,_ Kiros thought to himself irritably.

Just as he was about to give up and call for help, he finally noticed them; they were sitting inside of a box, having not been placed into the organizational boxes just yet. Slapping himself in the forehead, he immediately reached for it and pulled out the item he was looking for all along – a pair of black sunglasses.

As a higher ranking member of the government, Kiros was privy to the knowledge that these were no ordinary sunglasses, but actually recorder communicating lenses; while there were set computer chips that allowed the wearer to speak to anyone else who had a communicator as long as the frequency was clear, they also recorded audio and visual instances to a small memory chip and, if he knew James like he thought he did, he knew James would have used them while he was on the plane.

"And here I thought James was wasting his money," he muttered in amusement as he pulled the sunglasses on and pressed the play button.

At first the picture was black, but then the video began to play, Kiros begging Hyne to let it be what he hoped it was rather than a stupid vacation of some sorts. Hyne seemed to like Kiros very much because he suddenly saw himself in James' point of view onboard the plane that crashed. He seemed to be just taking a seat in his chair and a gun was raised in his direction. The vision tilted upwards and all of a sudden, Kiros was seeing Schipner holding onto the weapon, sneering at the Security Chief. "Who are you working for?" James asked in the video.

"I'd say it was obvious." Schipner said and, for a moment, Kiros hoped he would implicate his bosses, but Schipner turned to face the other occupant riding in the back seat. "We've come to rescue our comrade in arms."

Kiros frowned. This kind of evidence implicated Squall as well as Schipner. Though he was certain the SeeD wasn't working against the Estharian Government (_what reason would he have exactly?_), he didn't want to hand it over unless he knew that it would be able to help. Besides which, it explained what had happened on the plane.

"…You even managed to convince one of them that you were innocent of all charges," Schipner continued to drone on. "only because of your mind games. Don't worry though; she'll be dealt with soon enough."

"If either of you do anything to hurt Christine…"

By this time, James had turned to face the both of them, at which point Kiros could see that Squall was plainly surprised of the accusations against him. "I'm not working with him!" the SeeD exclaimed in outrage. "If I was the one who murdered those people, then why is the Galbadian Government saying I was in Deling City the whole time?"

"This performance is getting boring," Schipner stated. "They saw the holographic projection of your and were easily fooled. That touch was your own idea."

"And what do you plan to do with me, exactly?" James asked.

"You're just here to enjoy the ride." Schipner replied before unbuckling his safety belt and rising to his feet, towering over him. "But now that you know the truth..."

He raised the firearm and held it up close. Kiros couldn't see much else; the gun was blocking most of the view. "We can't afford to have any liabilities hanging around, you understand of course."

All of a suddenly Kiros caught movement and noticed something knock into Schipner, forcing the man to fire three times, one of the bullets barely missing James and Schipner knocked Squall onto the ground and grabbed him by the scruff of his prison uniform. "You little punk! If you weren't so useful alive, I'd…"

_Wait a minute…_ Kiros thought to himself as he rewound the tape, replaying it a moment later and hearing Schipner say those words once again. _If Squall was working with them, why would Schipner say that to him?_

The tape continued to play beyond that point and the plane was starting to descend. He overheard something about the propeller on the right wing having been shot and that the pilot was having trouble keeping the plane steady. He then saw James uncuffing Squall's arms from behind his back and then Squall grabbing a hold of James and holding him outside of the window, saying nothing even as James asked him what he was doing.

"You're gonna—" James started but Squall interrupted him at the last second.

"It's not what you think."

Then he was falling, the frozen ground coming close to hitting him before he was suddenly jerked upright, and he looked behind him to see white wings attached to James' shoulder blades, and the plane crashing into the snowy planes roughly thirty meters away from James—

Prying the sunglasses off, Kiros smiled to himself. Despite the fact that James had been hurt, he had played it safe, recording as much as he could with the handy little glasses. He know knew exactly what had happened – that Squall had inadvertedly caused the plane to crash with Schipner's assistance, and that they were planning on killing James and taking Squall somewhere as a hostage, probably leverage over Laguna.

"Like father like son." He muttered bitterly to himself, but stuffed the glasses into his pocket. First, he had to show Christine how her boyfriend had managed to find a hole in the investigation, that Squall might not have been the murderer at all, and that Squall had actually saved James' life, probably in the hopes that James would be of some use to them. From what Kiros knew from the SeeD, he never did anything without a really good reason.

Leaving the mess behind, he exited the storage closet and closed the door behind him.

**

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**The Time is now 7 p.m.**

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_To sum up this chapter, we have Cid stepping down as the Headmaster of Garden and plans for retaliation against their Trabian comrades insues on Garden's end. Galbadia is still threatening to crumble around Ibrihim Caraway's feet, but he's managed to glue the pieces back together in order to by some time. Squall is believed to be dead, only to be brought to the Adelists as a means to keep their original captive from escaping. While James Logans is in critical condition, Kiros manages to find a piece of the puzzle that just might be able to explain some things._

_Busy hour - _very_ busy hour - but it's nothing compared to what else is in store._

_As for Seifer's introduction to the cause, (and I'm fairly sure that most of you have already guessed that the infiltrator was him in the first place) - when I first planned this story, Seifer was always a character I wanted to involve, even in the previously _horrible _attempt at a Twenty Four - Final Fantasy VIII compilation. I thought that since I was revamping it that I'd keep Seifer around. Besides, he always manages to shake things up, so why not? _

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please remember to review and tell me what you think._


	18. 18th Hour

_I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has reviewed the story thus far. Though I only have twenty seven reviews from a total of seventeen chapters, it still makes me happy to know there are some people out there who are willing to send me a critique. I had one reviewer tell me that they had been reading the story and had only just given me a review recently; for that I really have to thank them; they could have just decided not to review at all. I wanted to thank this person through email or instant messaging, but they didn't leave me an email address, which is why I'm thanking them here._

_I would like to say that all questions would be answered in this chapter, but if I did I would be lying. So instead, some of your questions will be answered in this next chapter, while others will simply have to wait. Also, please remember that there is always a method to my madness - if something happens, it's for a good reason._

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**The Following takes place between 7p.m. and 8p.m.**

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**

When he woke up, he found that his head was pounding and his surroundings would stay still. It meant that he was alive, though how he'd survived the crash was a question he wouldn't mind having the answer to.

The last thing he remembered was casting a float spell on Logans before attempting to jump from the plane himself, only Schipner – that was his name as he recalled – had pulled him back. Then the movement of the crash had knocked Schipner back into his seat while he'd hit his head on top of the back seat of the plane. They looked soft enough, but he wouldn't recommend slamming anyone's head off the edge of one of them.

Squall pulled himself into a sitting position, no matter how hard his stomach tried to revolt. He frowned suddenly, realizing that the nausea, headache and dizziness were all symptoms of a concussion. He hoped it was a mild one – otherwise he'd never be able to figure anything out. Still, he had the sense of mind to take in his surroundings as he wondered where exactly he was.

Taking in his surroundings, he realized he was locked inside of another cell, though this one was far different than the ones in either Esthar or the D-District Prison. While the walls had thick bars there was no door preventing him from just getting up and leaving. There was no bed; only a mattress on the floor, of which he was currently seated upon, and the rest of the cell was pretty bare.

Rising to his feet, he made his way towards the entrance, still feeling slightly dizzy, but rebounded as if he'd bumped into an invisible force and landed onto his rear end, staring at theopen airin confusion. He shook his head to clear it, though it only made the headache worse, but after a moment, a flicker of light flashed through the invisible wall and it caused the SeeD to raise an eyebrow curiously.

"It's some kind of force field." A female voice – coming from his right – stated before he could come to the same conclusion.

Surprised that there was anyone else there, he turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw exactly who it was. The girl had short brown hair that reached just past her chin and soft brown eyes. She was dressed in a long white night gown, one that appeared as though it hadn't been changed out of in the longest time. Her feet were bare and her legs were tucked under her as she leaned forward.

Upon recognizing who it was, Squall jumped back against the bared wall, rubbing his eyes and telling himself that the concussion was forcing him to hallucinate. But when he removed his hands from his eyes, he saw that the girl was still there. His confusion must have been readable, because the girl staring at him sighed. "It really is me, Squall. You're not hallucinating."

"But…" Squall found himself at a loss for words. He had seen the girl back in Esthar, directly before he had boarded the plane and left the city. This couldn't possibly be the same girl… could it?

"I guess I have some explaining to do." The girl said, to which Squall could only nod dumbly. "Do you remember what happened two months ago? When there was a supposed attempt on the President's life?"

Squall nodded at the reminder uncertainly; he had been there after all.

"Well, the target wasn't Uncle Laguna. It was me." The girl continued. "I got separated from the Chief of Security—"

"Logans." Squall muttered.

"Yeah, that was him. Anyway, we got split up and these people grabbed me from behind. They sent some creature that looked exactly like me out there, as a replacement and Logans found her and believed that he'd saved me."

The girl must have sensed his displeasure at hearing this, because she attempted a small smile at him. "Don't blame him, Squall. He had no reason not to believe it wasn't really me. They made it pretty close to the original. That's where they've been receiving their information for the last two months, while I've been attempting to escape."

"What about those people who were killed today?" Squall said, suddenly more receptive to her. No one had ever been able to read him as well as she had just now, except for his sister, Matron, Rinoa, Quistis and, grudgingly, Seifer.

"That wasn't part of their plan originally." Ellone said sadly. "They just wanted to overthrow Uncle Laguna in retaliation for launching Adel into outer space."

"They're Adelists?" Squall asked and all of a sudden everything made some sense. The reason they targeted people who were close to Laguna and who were connected to SeeD. SeeD had been hired by Laguna's government in order to kill Adel before she was completely resuscitated.

Ellone nodded in response. "They were willing to see Uncle Laguna suffer, that's why they captured me and chose to give him that scare. They also wanted someone close enough to Uncle that he would confide just about everything to them. Obviously, I was the lucky choice. They could have gone after Kiros and Ward, though they would have put up more of a fight.

"Anyway, as soon as I got here, I've been nothing but trouble." Ellone stated proudly. "I was captured before by Odine and didn't want to spend the rest of my life here—too many bad memories. So every chance I've had, I've tried to escape, though as you can see, I haven't exactly been very successful. The last time, I got pretty close—I know there's a dock around here that has a few boats and I would have stolen one if they hadn't actually pumped me full of tranquilizers.

"But that's where you come into the equation. They've known that you and Laguna are related ever since the end of the Sorceress War, I have no idea how, and they know that we have a connection together, so they staged the whole thing just so you could be brought here, as insurance that I wouldn't try to escape anymore."

_So there reallyare others working under this conspiracy besides Schipner._ Squall thought to himself. "So now that they have us where they want us, what do they plan to do now?"

"I'm not sure myself." Ellone said. "They want to make Uncle suffer, but they also want to retake Esthar and to return to Adel's regime."  
"In other words, they're planning a coup." Squall said, to which Ellone nodded.

"We can't let it happen." Ellone pleaded. "Uncle Laguna has given up almost everything in order to help the Estharians change their ways; if the Adelists kill him, I don't know what I'd do."

"Calm down, sis." Squall said as she looked about ready to cry. "We'll figure out some way of getting out of here. We have to."

* * *

"He's doing what?" Zell shouted in outrage and Selphie nearly fell over from the monitor. 

"I said…" she said, but Zell cut her off.

"It's rhetorical, Sefie." Zell said. "Can he really do that?"

"Well, he's doing it now." She sighed.

As soon as they had left the cafeteria, Irvine had offered to go cheer Rinoa up while Selphie brought Zell up to speed on the current situation. It wasn't an easy thing to do, with the constant interruptions and Zell's inquiries about Seifer, but other than that, he had been told what was happening on their end. Zell had been furious when he had heard the part where the Commander used Squall's death in order to gain a reaction from the SeeDs.

"He's saying it's to avenge the fallen SeeDs." Selphie sighed. "I don't think Trabia'd like that too much. Squall definitely wouldn't; that'd be making him out to be some kinda martyr."

"You're telling me." Zell said. "So what are you guys planning to do? Obviously, I'm stuck until I can get back to Garden. And Nida's finally teaching me how to pilot this thing, so it might take a little bit."

"Zell, it's a machine. I have complete faith in you. Besides, I piloted the thing right away, and I'm machine illiterate."

"No you're not; you're specialty is gaining intelligence, hacking and anything to do with chemistry." Zell exclaimed.

"Whoops. Just trying to make you feel better."

"Gee thanks. So, about the situation?"

"Right." Selphie perked up again. Even if she was feeling down about Trabia, sulking and hiding wasn't going to do anything to resolve the current problem at hand. She could figure out what she was going to do about her grief later. "Well, Quistis said she's gonna handle it. I have no idea what she's up to though."

"Well, whatever it is, it's gotta be good, since Quistis is the one coming up with the plan." Zell remarked. "Oh, I gotta go. Nida's glaring at me; says I'm not ready to fly and talk at the same time. Just do me a favour and—"

"Keep an eye on Seifer, I know." Selphie rolled her eyes. "You know, if Squall can go from a wallflower to the Commander of a Garden in less than a month, I think Seifer can change too."

"Yeah right." Zell snorted. "When Armadodos fly. See ya later."

The comlink was shut off once the conversation was terminated.

* * *

So far things were running fairly smoothly. Those SeeD fools were so grief-stricken by the loss of their forces that they were planning on going to war. It was beautiful how things were progressing so nicely. According to intelligence reports, Galbadia was itching to jump into the fray and Esthar's people were pushing for retaliation as well. 

Three large forces of the world, all out for each other's blood; it'd make things far simpler when it was time to take over.

The Headmaster had stepped down for reasons unknown, the Estharian President was in shambles because of the loss of his only son, and the Galbadian President was struggling to keep his army at bay. The three men in the world who would have been the only cause of stopping this war from breaking out were either unable to do so or were focused on other things in the meantime, which meant that they weren't going to be standing in his way.

But there was still one person who might pose a threat; Trepe.

The accursed Blue Mage; forever despised by Adel for the longest time. They had believed the race to be extinct, but were proven wrong when the six warriors went to kill their master. The Blue Mage had been one of the team members and, though she had not caused the death of their leader, she hadn't done anything to stop it either, which made her just as guilty.

From what he had obtained through his moles and through the little spy cameras that had been installed within the Garden, the bitch was planning to do something in order to stop this war from taking place. Only two sides were fighting it out; if one side suddenly dropped out of it, then there was no way it could be known as a World War. He frowned thoughtfully, knowing that the woman needed to be stopped at all cost, before smiling broadly when he thought of a way.

Trepe might be a tough obstacle to bypass, but nothing was ever impossible, after all.

_**

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7:20:25

* * *

From everything Ellone had told him about the cells, they were pretty resilient against most things. Physically attacking the barrier wouldn't work, so magic was the only way around it all. Squall had tried to cast a spell but upon failing, he had noticed something odd wrapped around his wrists and had examined them closely, wondering exactly where they had come from.

"They're Odine Bangles." Ellone said. "They were originally designed to cut off a Sorceress' magical energies, but ever since SeeD has been around, the Adelists managed to modify the invention. They work on just about anyone now."

"How do I get them off?" Squall asked, irritated. He was sorely tempted to smash the things against the bars until they finally came off.

Ellone once again seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "Well, smashing them against anything won't work, that's for sure. They're pretty sturdy. Magic won't do anything either; the magic will just get absorbed into the bangles and make them stronger. It's a nifty invention."

"You're not helping."

"Sorry." Ellone said sheepishly, before getting back on track. "You'll just have to pick the lock."

"All well in good." Squall said exasperatedly. "Except I don't have anything to pick the lock with."

"Well, if you would stop being so sarcastic and check your front breast pocket, maybe you'll actually find something." Ellone stated casually.

Raising an eyebrow, Squall did as she suggested and, sure enough, there was a bobby pin tucked inside the very bottom of his uniform pocket. He held it up to face level in case he was hallucinating before turning to Ellone, who had an extremely smug look on her face. "So I pretended to bump into a guard and planted it on you while we were moving back here. I'm a klutz that way."

"How did you—?" Squall started but Ellone cut him off.

"Come on, you don't think your sister can't defend herself, do you?" Ellone said, appearing offended by the very notion. When he gave her a blank look, she elaborated. "I grew up on a boat with SeeDs for ten years and you don't think I learned a thing or two? When the Galbadians abducted me from the Lunar Base escape pod, do you think they just hauled me off without a fight? I don't think so; I think that soldier's still walking kinda funny."

Squall shuddered, not really wanting to know what had been done to the soldier. Instead, he readjusted the grip he had on the bangles and started picking through the tiny lock along the bottom side. It was kind of awkward; he had to position his wrist above the pin and pick the lock from a difficult angle. After a moment, he heard a snap and pulled the broken bobby pin away from the bangles, scowling at them.

"Maybe if you glare harder, they'll glue themselves back together." Ellone said jokingly and Squall sighed, throwing the pin away form him.

"What next?" Squall asked.

Ellone appeared thoughtful for a moment before suddenly spotting something nearby. She tapped the floor loudly, gaining his attention before suddenly pointing to whatever it was she had seen. Turning to look at what she was pointing at, he realized that it was a control box, quite possibly for the field keeping them inside of their cells. Instead of being happy to see it, he simply frowned at it. "Great. It's out there; we're in here, and I can't use any magic."

"I can." Ellone stated proudly.

Squall raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "That's something else they taught me on the White SeeD ship, though I can't use any of the stronger spells. It has to be lower level magic. Also, I haven't got any of them."

"Draw some from me." Squall stated. "You know how, right?"

"Of course, but I haven't had to for so long, so I'm kinda out of practice. I'll need you to keep still and relax, as difficult as the latter may be. I'll help you to relax, but it might take a few tries."

Squall didn't like the idea very much, but it was all they had. He'd cast a spell himself, except he couldn't so it was up to Ellone to do it. Simply nodding, he got into a comfortable position on top of the mattress and waited for Ellone to begin.

"Okay, just close your eyes."

Squall rolled his eyes at the obvious start but upon seeing Ellone glaring at him, he snapped them shut. "Now what?"

"First of all, don't speak." Ellone instructed and Squall frowned slightly. "And don't give me that look either; you're supposed to be relaxing."

Squall took in a deep breath and sighed, trying not to let his sister's teasing get to him. "'Whatever', I know." Ellone said and he nearly snapped his eyes back open at the remark. "You're doing well; take another deep breath."

The SeeD did as he was instructed; taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, keeping his eyes shut as his shoulders dropped. "Okay, now imagine yourself at the orphanage in Centra; when we were little kids."

He did as he was told, imagining the old orphanage; completely intact rather than the dilapidated state it was in at this time. The lighthouse was still in use; mostly shining during the night, but still standing tall during the day…which brought him to question what time of day it was.

"You're not relaxing." Ellone said.

"How can you tell?"

"Relaxing involves not thinking. Just focus on the images I'm telling you to focus on."

"…What time of day is it?"

There was a pause and Squall couldn't tell what his sister's reaction was, but strangely enough, he didn't really feel like opening his eyes at the moment.

"…It's the middle of the day." She answered, sounding slightly sheepish. "Now imagine yourself when you were a kid… you remember what you looked like, right?"

"Matron's shown me pictures." Squall replied simply – a lie, but he didn't want to have to go into the details – and made a mental image of himself as a child; wearing an orange t-shirt and a pair of black jeans with red, black and white running shoes. His hair was slightly less haphazard then it was currently, but he tried to simply focus on Ellone's instructions rather than the little details.

"Alright, now imagine yourself at the beach in the back of the orphanage, and you're playing in the sand with me. We're building a sand castle – no smart assed remarks from the peanut gallery please – and we're having fun."

He saw the two of them playing in the sand together; Ellone much younger than she was presently; and dressed in a blue sun dress. He could even feel the sand beneath his fingers as they built the sand castle. They were both laughing and pretending that the castle was filled to the brim with people who lived there, who lived away from people who would have liked to abuse her power. Being midday, the sun was pretty high up in the sky, keeping the both of them warm. The pounding in his head had subsided somewhat, and he couldn't even recall what it was from.

"Squall?"

A distant and elder voice that sounded remarkably like Ellone's called him by name and he turned to the direction he thought it had come from, finding nothing there. Just as he turned his back on the sound, the voice called him again.

"Squall? Don't fall asleep on me."

"I'm not asleep," he mumbled, wondering why the voice would think something like that. Just as he turned to ignore it, however, a sort of soothing foreign feeling encircled him and he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them up again, his surroundings slightly blurry. After a moment, his vision came into focus and he saw the concerned expression of a girl who resembled his sister so greatly, he was somewhat startled at first, but then it all came back to him; they were being held captive by the Adelists who were, quiet possibly, planning on assassinating his father, and would do so if he didn't snap out of it.

"Sis…" he managed to get out, but as he made to move, he tipped forward, slightly off balanced by the sudden movement. Ellone managed to catch him and was barely able to support his weight.

"Note to self; telling someone with a concussion to relax and visualize peaceful surroundings is definitely not a good idea." Ellone remarked. "Here, take a moment to get your head on straight."

He wanted to protest; to tell her that they needed to get out of there; to get to Esthar and to warn everyone about what was to happen, but he was suddenly extremely tired and could do nothing but simply sit there, trying to regain his concentration and his strength.. He knew they couldn't afford to sit there all day; eventually they'd be found out and then locked up. They'd never get another chance like this again.

"You okay now?" Ellone asked after a few moments had passed.

He felt marginally better than he had before, but it was going to have to do, at least for the moment. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Now, are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

Squall heaved a sigh. "You know me too well. But we can't afford to sit around here. We need to get moving."

"You're right." Ellone conceded. "Just don't overdo it, alright?"

He nodded once and tried to stand on his own, only to stumble slightly. Ellone grabbed his right arm and draped it across her shoulders. "Here, lean on me. What did I just say about overdoing it?"

Together, they exited the cell and Ellone looked both ways before moving them towards the left, Squall doing nothing but allowing her to lead the way.

* * *

As he stood in the halls of Balamb Garden, Seifer noted that not much had changed since he had left over four months ago. Students were still wondering around, gossiping about something that didn't even really matter to begin with, and committees were continuously recruiting for more losers to join their group. The only differences he could see were the fact that they actually elected a Commander – an incompetent one in his opinion, but a Commander nonetheless – and the stupid Garden Faculty was gone. He didn't miss them by any stretch of the imagination – if anything; he wanted to thank the guy who shoved them out of power. 

_With my luck, it'll have been Squall and his buddies. _He thought to himself as he moved away from the bench located just outside of the library. He had to lay low for a few hours; if he was caught searching those files again, Greenwood would simply give him the boot, and considering Cid sacrificed his job just to keep him there, that'd be very bad.

As he passed by the students, he noticed that many of them paused in their conversations as he continued down the hallway before continuing them in hushed voices. A couple even dared to glare at him balefully, of which he returned ten fold. One thing he did miss was the level of intimidation he possessed over the student populace – now everyone just thought of him as an annoyance; exactly how he'd thought they'd see him.

_If it weren't for Cid begging me to come back here..._ he thought to himself before catching a familiar figure standing nearby. He rolled his eyes as he made to pass her before deciding against it and turning to face her instead.

"You can stop following me now," Seifer said, irritated. It was the third time he'd caught her watching him and it wasn't doing anything to alleviate any stress – not by a long shot. "I'm not going to blow up the Garden or anything."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Quistis Trepe stated from where she was leaning before standing upright, her arms folded across her chest. "What I don't understand is the reason behind the Headmaster always giving you the benefit of the doubt; you obviously don't deserve it."

"First of all, he ain't the Headmaster anymore." Seifer clarified, and Quistis frowned in response. "Second, when you figure it out, send out a memo. And third, if I wanted to blow up the Garden, don't you think I would have done it by now?"

"Maybe you're just biding your time." Quistis said thoughtfully. "To build bridges before you burn them."

"I'm disappointed in you, _Instructor_," Seifer sneered at her, seriously becoming annoying with her accusations. "You should know me better than that. I'm more the type to take the direct approach, don't you think? Maybe getting fired's gotten to your head. If there's one thing to respect about me, it's that I'm honest."

He went to storm away but stopped, suddenly compelled to say something else. "And for the record, with all the shit that's gone down today, those bastards – whoever they are – don't need my help to fuck things up."

"That's strange coming from you." Quistis quipped. "You actually care about someone other than yourself."

She turned to walk away, but Seifer grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to face him. "Now that's not exactly fair. I may be a self-centered prick, but, believe it or not, I actually do care about the things around me, and I'm not just talking about Fujin and Raijin. What happened to Puberty Boy – to Squall – that wasn't right. And if I ever get my hands on the fuckers who set him up just to get him killed like that, well, just believe you me, SeeD won't have to worry about dealing with them."

With that, he released his grip on the blonde SeeDs arm and stormed off; deciding that heading to the library might be a good idea after all.

* * *

Two guards were approaching the cell block in which the prisoners were being held, merely to check up on them. The re-enforced energy wall they created was a stroke of genius; it'd keep the troublesome girl inside of her cage and, with the Odine Bangles on the SeeD, there was no way they'd be able to escape. 

Or at least that's what they thought before actually arriving at their destination.

The circuit box that was used to control the generator feeding power to the cells was busted; singed even, as though someone had taken a live cable to it and short circuited the device. What was worse was the cells were empty.

One of the guards pulled out a radio, knowing that the leader wasn't going to like this.

"You mean to tell me, they've escaped?" he shouted outraged. Things were beginning to go smoothly and now he was suddenly bombarded by such bad news. Shaking his head to clear it, he reminded himself that they couldn't have gotten very far, the base was sealed tight. "Find the siblings and bring them back to their cells. Don't kill them, but feel free to beat them up a bit. It'll teach them to try and defy me."

He slammed the receiver of his phone down so hard he was surprised the actually phone itself hadn't broken in half.

_**

* * *

**_

7:45:10

* * *

After a few minutes of walking, he had felt his strength return to him and had been able to walk on his own, though he could tell Ellone was still worried about him. There'd be time to rest as soon as he arrived in Esthar and this whole mess was cleaned him. He tried not to think about how the others were dealing with his supposed death – knowing that they weren't doing so well, and simply followed Ellone as she navigated through the corridors.

Ellone turned left at the next junction, Squall following closely behind until a group of guards turned the corner up ahead and charged towards them, forcing them both to stop. Ellone signalled for them to turn around, but when he did, Squall saw that more guards were moving in from that direction.

"Looks like we're stuck." Squall stated simply. "We can't run."

"Then I guess we have no choice." Ellone sighed. "Just remember what I said—"

"About overdoing it?" Squall interrupted. "Yeah, I remember."

Ellone nodded and, when the closest soldier jumped towards them, Squall took him down easily, connected with the man's face using his elbow and knocking him into the wall, the guard sliding down against it and not getting back up. The next soldier tried to knock him off balance, though Squall side-stepped the attack and Ellone cast a hasty thunder spell at him, electrocuting him and rendering him unconscious.

As Ellone turned back around and took out three more soldiers with elemental magic spells, Squall charged forward much like he'd seen Zell do, throwing out a fist into one man's face while kicking another in the stomach and knocking him back into his comrades. He turned around to see one of the guards getting too close to Ellone and, in an effort to protect his sister, he slid forward, knocking the guard off balance and rolling out of the way as Ellone struck him with a thunder spell. Squall turned to look behind him and noticed that more guards were coming from the direction they'd come from. Before he could do anything, Ellone grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along in the direction they were originally headed, the soldiers charging after them as they moved.

Just as they were rounding the corner, Ellone made a small shocked sound as one of the guards went to attack her, but Squall moved into the path of fire, raising his hands above his head as the guard's short sword came down. The Bangles on the teenagers wrists were what hit it instead and Squall moved is arms backwards, so that the sword slid along the side of the metal objects. Staring at him in confusion, the guard charged forward with another attack, Squall using the bangles as a sort of shield, watching as more and more slash marks presented themselves upon the metal. Finally, the guard swung downward once more and the SeeD moved his arms above his head once again to block the attack. He heard and felt the metal collide with the sword's blade and suddenly felt a weight lift from around them, the bangles falling uselessly onto the ground.

The guard stared dumbfounded at the object, and Squall didn't allow him the opportunity to strike him, raising his knee and hitting the man in the chin, watching as he fell backwards and did not stir.

He sensed something coming from behind, but just as he turned around to investigate, Ellone shot them down with Blizzard spells, watching them fall backwards from the cold as Squall knocked them out with Thunder spells. Ellone turned to see the bangles gone from his wrists and simply sighed. "Looks like they weren't that sturdy after all."

Before Squall could respond, they heard more shouts coming from behind them and knew that the guards were gaining on them. If they stayed where they were for much longer, the guards would find them and catch up easily.

"The docks are down this way!" Ellone shouted.

"Good! You go, I'll distract them." Squall responded.

Ellone looked at him incredulously, but Squall ignored it. "I can take care of them."

"By yourself?" Ellone questioned. "In your condition?"

"Trust me, I'll meet you outside!" Squall assured her, even as they heard the footsteps approaching them. "We don't have much time!"

Ellone frowned but nodded all the same, darting down the hallway that would take her to the docks. Squall took in a deep breath and released it slowly before appearing as though he had just gotten to where he was. Looking down the opposite corridor from where Ellone had gone, he shouted down it, hoping the guards would fall for it. "Keep going, I'll catch up!"

He turned to the guards and assumed his casting stance before releasing the spell, watching as a large wave of thunder rolled over the guards, one by one each were caught by the electrical current that was so powerful, it took off chunks of the ground beneath their feet.

Squall didn't wait around to see if any of them were getting back up and raced down the corridor, hoping they would take the bait.

* * *

Checking his watch, he knew that it was only a matter of time before the next phase of his plan would be exacted. The children did escape, but that didn't mean they couldn't be dealt with. In the meantime, he wanted to be sure his teams were set in place. 

He selected an open channel before waiting for a response, receiving one. "This is Cobatchi."

"How goes the preparations?" he asked.

"Everything is proceeding as it should." Cobatchi answered. "We should be in Esthar within the next hour."

"Excellent work." He stated. "Once you get to the City, execute the plan immediately."

"Will do. Over and out."

He smiled to himself. The prisoners would regret escaping once they realized just exactly what it was he had implemented. Grabbing his cloak, he made his way towards his own personal ship, which would take him to Esthar as well. He wanted to be there when the plan was executed to its fullest.

_Have fun with the guards, children,_ he thought to himself. _Let the fun and games begin_.

* * *

The only thing worse than moving in the wrong direction was when you knew you were moving in the wrong direction and couldn't do a thing about it. 

Squall continued his sprint down the hallway, knowing he was simply moving up rather than down, which was where he wanted to go. He hoped that, if he didn't arrive in time, that Ellone would be moving towards the closest city, wherever that may be.

He climbed another set of stairs before bolting down the hallway, knocking down a guard who had been ready to ambush him and taking the time to steal his weapons before firing them at the guards approaching. He had been doing that since he'd begun leading them away from Ellone's location, and had managed to secure a couple of hand grenades, two P14-45 LDA's and the MP5 AE he'd just liberated off the most recently fallen guard. He shot at them once more before the weapon clicked dry, and he threw it towards the downed group before making a run for it.

_There has to be a way back downstairs, there has to be_. Squall thought to himself, even as he rounded another corner, only to find that it was a dead end. From the sounds of it, the guards were closing in on him and he wasn't too sure that he'd be able to take them all out. Turning back towards the wall, he grabbed one of the grenades, popped the pin and threw it forward falling to the ground and covering his head with both hands, even as it detonated, spewing rock and debris in all directions and shaking the foundation slightly. He looked up to see that the wall led to the outside and, upon moving closer to it, discovered that he was a good fifteen feet above ground, overlooking a rather large body of water.

He heard footsteps approaching and whirled around, snapping the LDA's in place as he began to shoot at his pursuers, not exactly aiming to hit them, more to keep them from getting to close. He backed up towards the edge of the ledge, still shooting and still keeping them back when one, then the other LDA ran dry. He threw the weapons to either side of him and, just as the guards were recovering, stretched his arms to either side of him and allowed himself to fall out of the building, plummeting head first towards the water.

**

* * *

**

The Time is now 8p.m.

* * *


	19. 19th Hour

_As you will notice as the chapter progresses, the format has changed slightly. This has been done simply because I've been trying to get the line breaking thingy to work on my document manager, but it's being a butt-head and won't actually co-operate. So, it's gonna look a little funny for a while. Hopefully ffnet will deal with the problem soon, and when that happens, I'll simply change the chapter's formatting back to the way it was. _

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**The Following takes place between 8p.m. and 9p.m. **

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Ellone had reached the docking station of the base minutes after separating from Squall. Having drawn some of her brother's magic into herself, she had taken out the guards and stolen a boat with a motor on it before setting off, hoping that she would find him.

_If I remember correctly, the path he went leads up, not down…_

Even as the girl steered the small boat out of the bases docks, she kept her eyes and ears open, hoping to find him safe and sound, despite the night time sky—

—and it was then that she heard the gun fire from her left.

Stopping and shutting off the motor, she turned to look in the direction the gunfire was coming from and was shocked to see the outcrop of the guards shooting at something that had just fallen beneath the waves of the water.

_Oh Hyne - no!_

Redrawing the string that would activate the motor, Ellone steered the small vessel towards the area she had seen the guards shooting at. When she looked up to see if she had been spotted, she noticed the guards leaving, probably thinking they had managed to secure whatever it was that had fallen from that height.

She looked over the edge, hoping to find some trace of what it was—

—and screamed when the boat tipped on the opposite side, grabbing the closest edge of the boat to steady herself. She turned around to see Squall climbing into the object, soaking wet from his swim in the water and she gaped at him in shock. "But you—"

She redirected her gaze towards the tower she had caught him falling into before turning to look at him, knowing she looked confused. He simply pointed at the water beneath them and it was then that she saw it – a single feather floating upon the surface of the water before it suddenly vanished into nothing.

She blinked, dumbfounded by such an occurrence when it finally came to her and she sighed in relief. At the very last second, Squall had cast a float spell, but with the speed he had been falling at, the spell only took its full effect under the water, just barely slowing his descent so the sudden collision with the water's surface wouldn't kill him.

After a moment of blinking stupidly, she punched her brother in the arm, who surprisingly enough winced at the action. "You could have gotten yourself killed! I think I just grew white hairs!"

"Nice to see you too," Squall muttered and she suddenly saw why he had winced. Beneath his hand, there was a small trail of blood that was falling from his arm. Grabbing a hold of his hand, she moved it to see a nice clean graze across his bicep; probably from a bare miss when the guards were shooting at him.

"You were shot?" she asked dumbly.

Squall saw the mark too and even he looked surprised. "I thought the protect spell got them all…"

Ellone hung her head and released her grip on her brother's hand. "You are so much like your father, it's ridiculous." Taking a deep breath, Ellone took in their surroundings before turning back to face the other passenger. "So, where to now?"

"We can't stay here; the guards will find us if we do." Squall said, pointing out the obvious and not at all caring at that point. He looked around, probably trying to discern their location when Ellone saw him stare at an old ruin just to the left of where they were. She couldn't make out much of it, but by the look on his face, she could tell he recognized it.

"Squall?"

"The Tomb of the Unknown King," Squall muttered and Ellone had no idea what he was talking about. He suddenly turned to face her. We're in Galbadia."

"How do you know that?"

"The Tomb of the Unknown King is just northeast from the Capital." Squall explained. "If we can get to the city, the guards won't be able to find us through the crowds."

Ellone was about to protest, but then she remembered what her Uncle had told her about Deling City – that it was always more alive during the night than it was during the day. It'd be the perfect place to lay low until they figured out what they were going to do next. They still had to get to Esthar, after all. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get into town; I'm freezing."

Squall cracked a small smile before saying anything else. "If we got out of the boat and walked it, it'd take too long. If we move along with the current though, we can probably make the journey a lot quicker."

"I always did like traveling by water." Ellone sighed. "Let's go already."

…

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Quistis strode towards the Commander's office, noticing how empty the Headmaster's office appeared without Cid inside of it, talking to someone on the phone, or disciplining one of the students. He did breach security by bringing Seifer back, but it had saddened her at the same time to see him step down. According to Xu, his fax had just come in and Zell was currently on his way back to Garden, which wouldn't take too long.

She rapped on the door twice with her knuckle and, when she received the okay, stepped into the office, noting that Commander Greenwood was working on something at his desk. The man looked up and rose to his feet as soon as she closed the door behind her. "Xu told me you had wanted to speak to me about something." He said, gesturing towards a chair.

Quistis declined the offer; she wasn't planning on staying for long. She simply saluted her superior and began with her explanation. "It's about this war. Do you believe it is the right time to start a conflict, against Esthar no less?"

His facial expression hardened slightly, but he maintained his composure nonetheless. "If we don't, who's to say the next target won't be another Garden? Galbadia or perhaps even us?"

"Esthar did not intentionally bomb Trabia Garden. Cid Kramer has already told you; someone who was responsible for the murders in Esthar caused the missiles to launch."

"SeeD Trepe, I believe you to be a very admirable SeeD; I'll even go as far as to say I respect your decisions and your abilities. But did you actually see anyone enter the launch room and press the button out of Estharian uniform?"

Quistis frowned slightly but before she could answer, the Commander continued. "Even though I respect you as an individual, I must say that the story of someone breaking into the Missile Base and launching those missiles without Estharian personnel being aware of it, especially with what happened earlier today, sounds a bit far-fetched. If you were in my position, would you believe it?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I have seen enough strange occurrences in my life, so I do believe I would have believed the Headmaster when he explained what had happened to the Garden."

"Be that as it may, I can't take the chance that the Estharians are trying to cover up their tracks just so they will be able to attack again." Commander Greenwood sat back into his chair and stared up at her sincerely. "Honestly, I wish war wasn't an option, I truly do. But under the circumstances – thousands of SeeDs killed by the missiles strike, one of our own blamed for a crisis that took place earlier this morning and was later killed while in Estharian custody – we don't have much of a choice. Do you honestly believe Squall would want us to sit back and wait for them to attack us?"

Quistis had planned to proposition with the Garden Commander as professionally as possibly, but at the mere mention of what happened to Squall, she knew she couldn't maintain a formal composure any longer. "Permission to speak freely, sir."

"You may." The Commander conceded.

"Yes, what happened in Trabia was a tragedy, and yes, I do believe had Squall not been arrested by the Estharians, he would still be alive." The former Instructor was forced to take a deep calming breath to prevent herself from breaking down, just by drudging those facts up. "But I also believe that Squall's intentions were not to have a war break out between Galbadia and Esthar, due to the fact that we have only just begun to recover from the Sorceress War. He surrendered to the Estharians not on a whim, but because he knew that if he ran, Esthar would come after him, and Garden would become involved. It would've escalate into a World War, and Squall didn't want that to happen."

"Are you presuming to know exactly what went through the mind of Squall Leonhart; a man who was best known for being unreadable?" Commander Greenwood asked curiously.

"I _was_ his Instructor just before the Sorceress took control in Galbadia." Quistis replied. "And I knew him for seven years before that time, so I would have to answer yes to your question."

"Then what would you think Squall would want us to do?"

Quistis didn't need to hesitate; she already had an answer. "He would want our people to know what happened; what really happened in Esthar. He would want everyone to understand the reason behind his decision to hand himself over to the authorities and he would want everyone to realize that the enemy is _not_ the Estharians, but the people who really committed those murders in Esthar and who are trying to cause this war to break out."

Commander Greenwood didn't say anything for a moment, simply resting his chin against his palms as his expression screwed itself into a thoughtful one. With his free hand, he tapped at the corner of his desk and, finally, he took a deep breath and released it slowly. "And in his absence, who would you consider able to convey this message to the rest of Garden?"

"I would gladly volunteer myself to that cause." Quistis stated firmly.

The Commander nodded thoughtfully before clasping his hands together in front of him. "Alright, I'll stall the preparations for war until after you have spoken to them. If, in fact, they still wish to go to war with Esthar, then my hands are tied. If you can somehow manage to convince them that there is another answer, I will personally contact the President and ask him if there is anything we can do to assist in the efforts of the investigation.

"You have my expressed permission to use the ballroom for this gathering." The Commander concluded, grabbing a piece of paper and writing a short note on it before handing it to the SeeD. "Give that to Xu and she will assist you in your preparations. Though there is one question I'd like to ask you and it's about Seifer Almasy."

Quistis frowned at the mention of her former student's name. He had seemed sincere when they had had their confrontation in the hall, but that didn't mean she'd changed her mind about him. "To be honest, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and even though I possibly could, given the right junctions, I still wouldn't."

"Do you think he would try to disrupt the meeting?" The Commander asked.

"I honestly don't know what Seifer is planning to do inside of the Garden." Quistis answered sincerely. "He has always wanted to be the center of attention, so there is a possibility that he might disrupt it, yes."

"I don't blame you for not trusting him. To be honest, I never knew what the Headmaster – sorry, Cid – ever saw in him in the first place. Then again, Cid has always been more of a trusting man and I can definitely respect that. I will personally insure that Seifer Almasy will have no access to the Ballroom during the time you and the rest of SeeD are inside of it. It's not much, but it's all I can do."

"Believe me sir, it's plenty." Quistis nodded. "Thank you sir."

"It's not a problem." The Commander said. "If we can avert a war, then the pleasure is all mine."

…

Kiros was currently leaning against a table inside of a small room, the curtains drawn and the lights set to a low glow; he didn't want anyone else knowing he was in there, excluding one important individual. Not even Laguna knew he was there, and they had been close friends for years.

Checking his watch, he understood why it was taking her a while to get there, given the circumstances. She was a very devoted individual; once someone had her loyalty, it never changed for any given reason, that is, within reason.

Kiros recalled a time where he'd actually admired her as more than just a friend. Neither Ward nor Laguna had ever heard of this interest – despite their trusting friendships between each other, Kiros was a very private person and liked to keep most things to himself. Besides, he knew he'd never live it down if his good friends knew he'd actually had a crush on someone. But after a while, he realized that it would never work out between them. He hadn't pursued it of course; it would have been unprofessional, and it would have made things afterwards extremely awkward. The only person who actually did know about it was James, and he hadn't mentioned it to a soul, despite the fact that he was currently dating her.

Kiros saw them both as siblings he had never had; never having had any familial contact before. Very rarely did he ever actually make any effort to forge such bonds and he trusted his instincts when it came to other people. He'd had good feelings about both James and Christine from the get go, much like he'd had with Laguna and Ward, and it was because of it that reason he'd come to cherish anyone within his inner circle.

When he'd learned that James had liked Christine, he'd encouraged him to go for it; to take the plunge he had never done. Simply put, Kiros was a little too adventurous for most people, whereas Christine's idea of 'roughing it' was wearing loose fitting clothes and reading a mystery novel. James, while being in the line of work he was, was a lot tamer than Kiros would probably ever be, which was why he'd believed them to be perfect for each other. It hurt to see either of them in the position they were, and he knew now more than anything that they were pretty inseparable. Soon afterwards, he'd come to know Christine more as a sister than as a potential love interest.

He heard the door slide and sure enough, the woman in question entered the room, taking in the surroundings with a growing curiosity. "Were you followed?" Kiros asked her in all seriousness.

"Hyne you're paranoid." Christine shook her head. "But no, I wasn't followed."

"Good." He removed himself from his leaning position and moved towards her, pulling the sunglasses out of his uniform pocket.

"Why are the lights turned off?" Christine asked.

"I don't want anyone coming in here and interrupting. This is important."

"So I gathered." Her eyes shifted immediately towards the sunglasses. "You asked me here to show me a pair of sunglasses?"

"They're James' sunglasses." Kiros stated and all humour from Christine's expression drained at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "This was what I was looking for when I searched through his belongings—"

"You went through James' belongings?" Christine asked in outrage, but before she could say anything else, Kiros handed them to her.

"Look, just watch the recording. It'll explain everything."

She gave him a very sceptical look before placing them on – they were a bit too big for her – and pressing a button on the side. Kiros simply stood and watched, waiting for the inevitable to take place. Nothing happened at first, but then Christine's facial expression – from what he could see – darkened slightly. Then her expression turned to one of shock and confusion. By the time the recording had ended and Christine pulled the glasses away from her eyes, she was crying again.

_"_He…he _saved_ him…" Christine said after a moment in utter disbelief. "Even after everyone said he was guilty…And Schipner…"

"Yeah. He was involved."

"No wonder he was always cutting me off at every corner." She said, beginning to pace the length of the room. "He knew I was getting too close; I was already suspicious as it is…"

"You were?" Kiros asked surprised to hear this.

"It didn't seem plausible to me; even if he was a SeeD he couldn't travel that large a distance in under an hour; no one can. Though unfortunately, it looks as though this footage proves that there was no way any of them could have survived."

From what Kiros had seen of the footage, he was inclined to agree. The crash was pretty extensive, but because of the explosion, the plane had become a total wreck. If anyone actually had survived, it was nothing short of a miracle.

"I was actually going to go show this to the President." Kiros stated. "Despite the shock he's in, Laguna deserves to know exactly what happened."

Christine nodded in agreement. "And I'm going with you, if that's alright."

"Doesn't sound like a problem to me. Let's get going."

Christine and Kiros approached the door, but before they moved through it, Kiros stopped her. "Though, for the record…you gave me permission to search through James' stuff."

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_**8:15:02 **_

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It had taken less time than he'd originally thought it would, but they managed to make it to Deling City shortly after leaving the base, the motor at the end of the boat being a great help. Throughout the journey, Ellone had told him pretty much everything; that the assassination attempts on President Caraway's life throughout the last two months had been the work of the Adelists, trying to keep their real target under wraps while at the same time taking out another possible threat to their organization. She told him they had sent out a man who'd looked like Squall so much that he could have passed as his twin, but that she had never known where he was heading until just before he'd been brought to the base and finally told him what he had long suspected; Laguna was their true target and they planned to kill him in order to complete a coup before going to war with the rest of the world. Though what Squall couldn't quite understand was why they were biding their time when they had spies running around freely in Esthar.

"It's because they want as much information about the government as possible." Ellone said. "Knowledge is power, after all. The more about the enemy you know, the easier it'll be in the long run to take off the head and keep the rest of the body under control."

"You really did learn a lot on the White SeeD ship." Squall said thoughtfully. "Here I thought you'd just read your days away."

"I didn't have an unlimited supply of books to read, you know." Ellone said. "And reading becomes tedious after a while. I got stir crazy and I eaves dropped on quite a few classes."

Just as they neared the city limits of Deling City, Ellone suddenly stopped, Squall turning to look at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Won't there be some kind of trouble?" Ellone asked thoughtfully. "Everyone thinks you're dead, after all. Who'd help us if they thought you were an impostor?"

"Even if they do think I'm dead, there's still someone in the city I can talk to that can help us." Squall stated simply. "It'll take too long to trek to Timber and if the situation between Esthar and Galbadia has gotten as bad as I think it has, the Horizon Bridge will have been shut down anyway. Our best chance is Deling City."

"And if this idea doesn't work?" Ellone asked tentatively.

"Let's just hope that it does." Squall evaded and simply moved forward, Ellone following closely behind.

When they got close enough, Squall could make out the blue and red uniforms of the Galbadian military and figured they were guarding the parameter from any further infiltration attempts. They immediately raised their weapons to the two teenagers and nearly dropped them upon recognizing the SeeD. The soldier in red immediate moved to greet the pair, falling into a salute as he did. "It's good to see you managed to escape from those Estharians." The soldier stated and Ellone and Squall were both confused; they should have thought he was dead at that point.

"I need to speak with President Caraway immediately." Squall said after recovering from his confusion. He figured he'd play it by ear.

"Of course. Come with me." The soldier turned to his partner, who immediately snapped into attention. "Let anyone in without confirmation and you'll wish the Estharian bastards had gotten to you."

The soldier immediate snapped into an attentive stance, even as his superior led Squall and Ellone past the city limits and into the city itself.

"So what happens after we meet with Caraway?" Ellone asked in a whisper. "We figure out a way to go to Esthar, right?"

Squall shook his head and he knew the elder girl wasn't going to take this part of his plan very well. He wasn't even sure he liked it in general; he was making everything up as he went along. "You're going to stay with Caraway inside of the Presidential Residence. I'm going to Esthar."

Ellone immediately stopped walking, Squall and the soldier doing the same. Squall signalled for the soldier to give them a moment and he moved ahead, out of hearing distance before Squall spoke again. "This isn't up for discussion."

"You can't go to Esthar by yourself; it's a suicide mission, even if you are junctioned."

"I'm not junctioned, but that's beside the point." When Ellone gave him an incredulous look, Squall sighed in exasperation. "Do you honestly think the Estharians would have let me keep my junctions when they suspected me as a homicidal criminal?"

"…Good point," Ellone conceded. "But even still, it's even more dangerous knowing that."

"I know what I'm doing." Squall assured her. "Besides, my cover would be blown if anyone saw two Ellones running around. Not to mention that would alert the Adelists that we've escaped."

"Don't they already know that?" Ellone asked.

"Probably not; they soldiers would search the parameter before reporting in to their superiors; it'll take some time and we need to utilize that time to our advantage. Besides, you've been through enough already. You'll be safer with Caraway; he won't let anything happen to you."

Ellone frowned, still not completely convinced, but she didn't argue any further. "Then let's get going." She said before moving passed the SeeD in order to catch up to the Galbadian Soldier. After a moment, Squall started moving as well.

…

He had just gotten off the phone with Cobatchi, explaining that he would be arriving onto Estharian territory very shortly and that they were to proceed with the operation upon their arrival. A lie of course, but he had to keep his men inspired. He was making a brief detour – heading towards another secure location of which they had established their base to brief the higher ups on the progress of the mission. So far things were moving along smoothly and he knew he should have reported the mission's progress sooner, but too many things had had to be overseen. True that the prisoners had managed to escape, but they should have easily been placed back into their cells; he wasn't at all worried.

He still marvelled at how plastic surgery had taken a large step in advancement during the last seventeen years in Esthar. Though true that it was a very expensive procedure, it had been well worth the money spent on it, otherwise this entire day could never have taken place. All it had taken was a couple of days for the procedure to have been completed and Cobatchi had looked like a completely different person. True he sounded exactly the same, but that had been easy to rectify; voice synthesisers were so easy to acquire nowadays. Unfortunately, the mechanical echo the device created had been a problem, but fortunately Cobatchi was able to deal with that as well and all it had taken was to record the conversation between the SeeD in question and his beloved Sorceress while he was away in Deling. Of course, that particular voice synthesiser would only be able to play Leonhart's voice as a disguise, but that was a very miniscule price to pay for it all.

He decided that he was going to sit back and simply watch the final act, hoping his men had set a screen up for his prisoners to see the final phase of his plan acted out the way he had originally intended.

…

When they reached the tactical room of the Galbadian Presidential Residence, everyone who had been stationed at a monitor or working on a report layout suddenly stopped what they were doing when they saw him. Squall felt all sets of eyes upon him and immediately felt uncomfortably, never having enjoyed the spotlight. Still, he couldn't blame them; he'd stare too if a man he assumed was imprisoned waltz through his work station dressed in an Estharian prison uniform. He figured they were staring at Ellone as well – it wasn't everyday someone visited the Presidential Residence dressed simply in a nightgown.

The soldier passed the workers by without much comment and the stares continued even as they were asked to wait at the bottom of the stairs, each and every eye in the room burning into his back. He hoped the soldier would alert the President soon; he was fairly certain that Ellone was feeling just as uncomfortable as he was.

Finally, the soldier clambered down the stairs and stated that they could enter the President's office. Squall did just that, taking the steps two at a time as Ellone followed, opening the door and stepping into the office.

President Caraway stared at him as though he thought he was hallucinating and Squall figured he had been alerted to his so-called demise at least. _But that doesn't explain why no one else knows about it..._

As soon as Ellone stepped into the room, the President snapped out of his shock long enough to signal for the pair to close the door behind them; he apparently didn't wish to be disturbed. The latter thought was confirmed when the President contacted his secretary and told her not to allow anyone to disturb him, as he was in a private meeting before turning to stare at him again. "It isn't possible, is it?" Caraway asked after a moment.

"Contrary to popular believe, I am very much alive." Squall stated simply. "The people who were responsible for the terrorist attack in Esthar were the ones responsible for falsifying my death."

"I'm not even going to ask how you managed to survive the plane crash." Caraway said in a daze and Squall sincerely hoped he would snap out of it; he needed his help. "But the Garden's will be extremely pleased to know that you're alive, though I've heard Cid Kramer has stepped down from his position as Headmaster due to some breech in security."

_The Headmaster's been impeached?_ Squall thought to himself. _I guess I shouldn't be too surprised; the Adelist's plans wouldn't be progressing as quickly as they are if he were still in control._

"I have to ask you not to tell the Garden's that I'm still alive." Squall said and Caraway frowned in confusion. "The people who faked my death wanted me to be held hostage – kept out of the way so they can attempt to assassinate President Loire in Esthar."

"And how exactly does Ellone fit into this?" Caraway asked.

"It's a long story and, unfortunately, I don't have the time to go into the details. But I need to find a secure way to enter Esthar in order to prevent the assassination from taking place. If that were to happen, the terrorists would take control of Esthar and it would be like it was twenty years ago when Adel was in charge."

"The terrorists are Adel supporters who survived the war in Esthar." Ellone explained. "They want to re-create the regime Adel left behind before Uncle Laguna sent her into space."

"We can't let that happen." Caraway said, taking his seat behind his desk, the shock apparently having worn off. "If there is anything I can do to help—"

"Actually there is." Squall interrupted. "If I'm to infiltrate Esthar without them realizing that I'm still alive, I'll need a distraction; a big one."

"Yes of course." Caraway said. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"The Adelists know that Esthar and Galbadia are standing on a rocky structure since Esthar infiltrated Galbadian territory. Naturally, they want Esthar and Galbadia to go to war against one another, and for Garden to join it, escalating it into a World War that would result in many casualties."

"You don't need to worry." Caraway said. "I have already made myself clear to my men that they are not to attack Esthar—"

"Actually, that's exactly what I want them to do."

Caraway stared at Squall as though he had grown a third eye and the SeeD could sense Ellone's startled expression from behind him. Still he pressed forward, having thought about it along the way to Deling City. "I need you to call your General and tell him to send his men to Esthar soon after I've left. Tell them not to engage until you give the signal and I will contact you when I am in position. While Galbadia attacks Esthar, I will warn President Loire of the circumstances and get him to safety before the terrorists can attack."

"But what should I tell them?" he asked and Squall simply shrugged.

"Make something up. Tell them I'm dead if you have to."

"But if you entered the city through the city limits, the guards would have seen you." Caraway protested.

"Tell those particular soldiers that they are not to utter a word about what they have seen or heard and that it is a direct order from the President. This goes for the staff who saw me walking through here as well. The soldiers will be happy to do anything in order to retaliate against Esthar anyway, right?"

"And I've already promised Laguna that I wouldn't attack—"

"Sir," Squall said, interrupted Caraway once again. "If we don't do this, then President Loire's life will be in danger. I can't guarantee his safety if I get caught crossing the border. The Estharians still believe that I'm a murderer; if they discover that I'm still alive, they'll assume that I faked my death in order to try and kill their President. This is the only way to save him."

Caraway appeared torn between keeping a promise and saving a man's life, but after a moment of hesitation, the latter won out. "Alright, you have my word. You'll have the distraction you'll need. But how do you plan to get to Esthar?"

"Are the Estharians still stationed within the city?" Squall asked, recalling the Estharian General having said something about keeping men behind in order to keep an eye on things.

Caraway nodded in response. "Yes; there's still an Estharian military plane within the city, but I believe they'll be picking up and leaving anytime between now and 1800 hours. They'll be approximately south of the city limits."

"Then I don't have much time." Squall said as he made for the door. Before pulling it open, he turned to look back at the President. "Take care of my sister, will you? I can't risk her life in this."

Caraway nodded and Squall was out the door, descending the stairs and making his way out of the Presidential building. He only had forty-five minutes to get to the rendezvous point before his only chance into Esthar left him behind.

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_**8:45:03 **_

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Atop of his desk was a picture that had been taken about a month after the Sorceress had been defeated and Time Compression was averted. It portrayed himself and Ellone standing side by side inside of the old pub in Winhill. Even as he traced the picture frame with his thumb he couldn't help but regret that his son hadn't been there at the time to be a part of it.

Laguna recalled that day very well; it was the very first time he had visited his late wife's grave since the day he discovered she was gone. The villagers had told him it was due to birth complications and that both Ellone and the baby had been sent to the orphanage a month before he had arrived to bring his family back with him to Winhill. They had asked him whether he had wanted to go see them, but he had declined, still too hurt to hear that the woman he had loved was now gone. Back then he hadn't believed he'd have made a very good father to either of the children, and had thought it best to leave them where they were, hoping he would eventually return to Winhill, asking for the location of the orphanage and seeing them.

But that time hadn't come.

Laguna couldn't blame Squall for being angry with him; right after the war's end and everyone's removal from the infirmary, Laguna had told him everything – what had happened and why he hadn't been there for him when he should have. The SeeD had been too shocked to really do anything, but despite the fact that he was angry and hurt with him, he had forgiven him; his excuse having been that he wasn't able to change the past.

They had tried to start off with a clean slate afterwards, but eventually Squall had given it up as a loss cause; they were just too different to ever get along normally. If they hadn't been related, neither one of them would have ever batted an eye if they'd ever crossed paths. It had been hard, but Laguna knew he'd have to accept the fact that his son had his own family; a group of people he cherished more than everything. It was even harder knowing that he couldn't be a part of that group.

And now he would never get the chance to mend the damage he had inflicted.

Squall didn't deserve to die; had the circumstances been different, had his government actually believed the SeeD when he had told them he was innocent, he would still be alive, and they would be searching for the real perpetrators. And maybe, just maybe, Laguna could hope for a second chance.

He couldn't help but question why Hyne was so cruel to him. He'd just established a family in Winhill when Ellone had been kidnapped, and managed to help out a nation who had, at the time, needed his help, only to return to find that his wife was gone and to make a life-altering decision during his grief; to meet a son he'd purposely never met before only to have him taken away four months later. It just didn't seem fair; if anyone should have been punished for his actions, it should have been him.

A knock on the door broke through his thoughts and, with a heavy sigh, Laguna replaced the photograph atop his desk before allowing his impromptu visitor entry. The door opened and in stepped Kiros, followed closely by Christine Lockhart, who closed the door behind her.

Kiros seemed to sense his distress, and shifted uncomfortably where he stood. "Is this a bad time?"

Willing the depressing thoughts away, he simply shook his head. "No, no, now's as good a time as any. What is it?"

Kiros didn't appear certain that he believed him, but thankfully chose not to pursue the subject. Instead, he tossed something towards him, something Laguna was barely able to catch. Upon inspecting them, he frowned slightly. "Nice sunglasses. Yours?"

"Actually, they belong to James Logans." Kiros said. "They've got a special recording system inside of them, and he managed to make a home video. You really should take a look at."

Laguna found the play button easily and, after placing them over his eyes, watched the scenes take place through the eyes of James Logans. The moment he saw Squall in the video, he was sorely tempted to take them off and break them, but something inside told him he needed to see what was going to happen. When he did, he willed his emotions back and was still struggling through them when the visual cut off.

Removing the sunglasses tentatively, Laguna found his voice after a moment and asked the first question he could think of. "When did you get this?"

"Almost an hour ago." Kiros said. "I showed them to Christine as soon as I saw what it showed, just to make sure my suspicions were warranted before bringing them to you."

Laguna frowned thoughtfully. So Harold Schipner was a traitor who was trying to bring down his government. For how long he had no idea, but he did know the man was responsible for the death of his son and he was going to make sure he paid for it when he was captured. "How is the autopsy reports going?"

"I haven't heard anything within the last little while, but I'll keep you posted." Kiros said.

"As for Schipner," Christine piped up. "I'll look through his personal records; maybe dredge up contacts that may prove useful to us. If the terrorists aren't done yet, I'll bet gil that they'll be targeting the Residence again."

"Good. I'll leave it to you."

Kiros and Christine nodded and left him alone to his thoughts.

…

Irvine, Zell, Rinoa and Selphie were all sitting in Rinoa's dorm room, hiding from the population of SeeD who was crying for blood and demanding their support. Rinoa hadn't been told much about it, except that Quistis was handling it as best she could. The elder girl was setting up for something and had promised she would explain everything as soon as the preparations were in order.

Irvine sat by the window, his hat mysteriously missing as he stared out the glass towards the view of the nearby mountains. Zell sat on top of the desk that was sitting against the far wall, his fingers twitching as though he wanted to jump back up and shadow box in the corner – a task he took to doing whenever he was bored or frustrated. Selphie sat against the wall on the bed, her knees tucked up underneath her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared thoughtfully at an insignificant spot against the wall. Rinoa was sitting next to her, much in the same position.

"So the Garden is preparing to go to war." Rinoa asked slowly. She had only just woken up a few moments ago, but she felt a little calmer about what was happening. It had been shock that had caused her reaction but that didn't mean she wasn't fighting back tears whenever she though about Squall. Even now, she was fighting to retain her composure.

"Unless Quistis can stop it, yeah." Irvine said without turning his gaze away from the window. "Let's just hope she does."

"I don't think anyone from Trabia Garden would want a war to break out over this." Selphie mumbled. "They'd want Garden and Esthar to work together against the people who really did this."

"That's _if_ they figured out it wasn't Esthar's doing." Zell muttered darkly. All eyes turned to glare at him, and the brawler simply shrugged. "What? It's the truth! The rest of Balamb Garden thinks Esthar was responsible; Galbadia's probably thinking the exact same thing."

"It's called 'thinking positively', Zell." Irvine snapped. "Try doing it sometime."

"It's kinda hard thinking about what's just happened." Zell snapped back.

"Stop it." Rinoa snapped at the both of them and the two males quieted under the young Sorceress' glare. "Squall wouldn't want you two arguing with each other at a time like this; he'd want us to figure out a way to stop this war from happening!"

Both Zell and Irvine mumbled out an apology once the room fell into silence. Rinoa fell back against the wall and sighed awkwardly before breaking it. "So you were telling me that Seifer's back?"

Zell nodded bitterly. "Yeah. Headmaster Cid even gave up being the Headmaster in order for him to stay. I don't know what's he's got over him, but Seifer Almasy's always been nothing but trouble."

"People change, Zell." Rinoa started, but Zell interrupted.

"But this is Seifer we're talking about. If you ask me, he's still the same cocky, arrogant asshole he's always been."

"I have to admit, I gotta agree with Zell this time." Irvine nodded. "Something about him seems kinda off though, if you ask me. What's his agenda, exactly."

"Oh, come on." Selphie said. "Do you think he'd actually try something so soon after the Sorceress War?"

"Yes." Both Zell and Irvine responded in unison.

Rinoa slapped herself in the forehead, even as Zell spoke up again. "Squall'd think the exact same thing; he knows Seifer better than everyone else put together."

"You don't know how Squall thinks." Rinoa retorted defensively.

"No, but Quistis does." Zell argued. "And even she's suspicious of Seifer. She knows the both of them better than anyone. I'd say that counts for something."

"I'm not so sure." Rinoa said. "Something tells me that it's safe to trust Seifer, at least this time. That Ultimecia's managed to change him for the better."

Zell folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. "I'll believe it when I see it."

…

"Alright people, we've been given the order to return to Esthar." Captain Rainer Steiner shouted, his men falling into attention before him. "Get on the plane; we leave at 0900 Esthar time. Move it!"

His men filed before him and began to head back towards the plane. Rainer had no idea whatsoever why they were being ordered to withdraw; they still had to search for accomplices. Obviously they weren't going to find anything in a day's time, but he wanted to make certain the man responsible for those deaths wasn't working alone. When the Estharian Cabinet Director himself contacted him and ordered him to abort the mission, he had been very confused.

He heard a surprised cry and some rustling in the bushes a little ways behind and signalled for his men to continue onward while he investigated. Raising his riffle, he quietly made his way towards the sound, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

He found himself drawing nearer to a bush and, counting backwards from three, he pointed his riffle behind the brush only to see the other soldier rising to his feet. Rolling his eyes, he frowned deeply. "What was that sound?"

"That was me, sir." The soldier replied. "Tripped on something when I went to take a piss."

Rainer's frown deepened and he slapped the soldier upside the head, satisfied when he saw the man wince from the action. "Smarten up. You would've been killed if I thought you were an enemy solider. Now move to the plane. Jackman is already waiting for you. Report to the front of the cockpit."

The soldier quickly saluted him and moved towards the aircraft, Rainer shaking his head as he slowly made his way after him. Once he returned to Esthar, he was demanding a serious pay raise.

It had been a close call, but he'd managed to make it.

Even as he was strapping himself in, he was mentally thanking the Estharian and Galbadian crewmen who had officially taught him how to pilot the newer aircrafts that had been supplied by the Estharian military as a show of peace. Though he wasn't the best pilot he knew, he could hold his own, which made him sigh in relief when he discovered he was only the co-pilot.

After ambushing the Estharian soldier in the bushes, he'd cursed softly, having recognized the emblem on the front translating that the man was a pilot. He'd only had half a minute to quickly put on the uniform and had barely been able to push the soldier out of sight before the Captain had shown up. The excuse he had used had been thought up quickly, and he wasn't too surprised that the Captain had bought it.

On the way to the plane, he'd read through the schematic files that had been programmed into the Estharian helmet for easy access. He knew the Captains name at least – Rainer Steiner, a veteran, and the other pilot's name – Payton Jackman. That was pretty much all he needed to know, aside from the co-pilots past history, though he figured he could bluff his way if need be; he wouldn't need the disguise for too long.

His pilot had given him a thumb's up – probably thankful he hadn't been left behind – and gunned the engines, announcing to the passengers that their ETA was roughly an hour.

Squall sincerely hoped they'd get to Esthar before then.

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**The Time is now 9p.m. **

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	20. 20th Hour

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**The Following takes place between 9p.m. and 10p.m. **

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He was beginning to hate computers.

After his exchange with Quistis, Seifer had returned to the library, grabbing the terminal he'd been using for the last few hours to track down information that he'd need for his purposes, and had spent a good time leafing through the notes he'd already made in order to find where he'd left off, re-reading them and committing them to memory, should the records be destroyed. Afterwards, he'd logged on under one of the codes Cid had given him and set to work.

Only now, he couldn't get back to the fucking pages he'd already found.

He checked the bookmarks, knowing he'd set them up with an encryption code, only to discover that they'd been deleted. He'd tried hacking into the Garden Administration log for anything concrete, only to find that the links he'd managed to secure were also gone.

From what Seifer knew about computers, the only way to delete those kind of encrypted codes was to reformat the terminal and upgrade the security modes in order to limit the amount of information that was accessed. When Seifer located the security modes and tried to set it down a level, a bar popped up in the middle of the screen and prompted him to enter a password.

Half an hour later, Seifer was about ready to drive his fist into the monitor's screen.

Someone knew what he was up to; that was the only logical explanation. They knew he was getting closer and closer to discovering something that they didn't want him to find out, and they were setting up roadblocks to get in his way. He hated it when the opposition thought smart, though he also hated it when things went too easily.

Seifer unintentionally thought back to how he had done things a little over five months prior – if he had a suspicion, he'd jump in head first and ask questions later. It had gotten him into a lot of trouble, but had also added to his favour at the same time. He'd have never thought about researching and logging down every piece of information he'd come across just to back himself up, but even as he grimaced at the notion, Cid's words came back to him; some of the instructions he'd received upon accepting this kind of mission: _Keep a tight tab on your tracks – just in case you find something that later becomes inaccessible doesn't mean you have to start from scratch._

Frowning, he knew the old Headmaster was right about it, it just sucked that there was so much work to go into it. He thought about his new home, where Fujin and Raijin were keeping a close tab on his location and contacting him every so often in order to know if he was alright. He'd really wanted to involve them, but had thought better of it – three people were easier to spot than just one.

Giving up on the computer as a lost cause, he left the library, knowing he had eyes on him as he did. To get to the information he needed, he'd have to get a SeeD who had authorization to access the terminal before him, and he knew it'd be difficult – he wasn't exactly everyone's number one fan. He'd have to find another way, but with a limited about of leads he didn't have much to go on.

Despite the obstacles pit against him, Seifer smirked as he made his way through the halls. He'd always enjoyed a challenge and this new mission was definitely full of them.

His team was all accounted for – each and every one of them passing through security with little problem – the soldiers stationed at the Airstation were searching through personal belongings but one well placed distraction solved that problem. Christopher Cobatchi had had to wear something in order to keep his features hidden – it would give away too much were they to see what he looked like now.

He had been an engineer student at a prestigious college located in Deling City, after emigrating from Esthar at a young age of three. Both of his parents had been strong believers in the regime, but had been murdered due to their involvement. Actually, the public claimed that their deaths had been true justice towards their victims, but he hadn't believed a word of it; they had been good people while they were alive. Honest working people. Christopher had been taken away from the city responsible for their deaths soon afterwards; the people afraid he would be placed in the home of one of the non-believers.

Afterwards, the regime members had become surprised by young Christopher – it turned out he was something of a genius. He graduated from High school at the age of fourteen, and was enrolled into university two months after that. He'd received his bachelor's degree in engineering a few years later, and had found that he was fascinated with creating little trinkets. It had been him who had upgraded the otherwise useless Odine Bangle for their own purposes and soon after that he had been allowed to join in on the regimes plans.

Afterwards, it was history – he helped concoct plans that were later scratched out because the timing hadn't been right, or the equipment they'd needed hadn't worked. He'd felt like a failure, no matter how many times the others confided that his idea had been brilliant. But this biggest achievement of their movement had made him feel far better.

Originally, the regime had only wanted the President's niece; had only believed that the girl was the only key to ruining Loire, but one of Cobatchi's men had overheard the conversation between Leonhart and Loire roughly two weeks after the girl's capture and had sent it back to Cobatchi in the hopes he could use it to concoct yet another scheme. Indeed the move had been warranted – it was at that time the regime had found another link to Loire – a son he had never known he had nor had any contact to for the last seventeen years. Cobatchi had been excited when he'd first heard about it and later discovered that the girl they would later hold in custody was closely attached to who would be considered her younger brother. Throwing in the fact that she quickly began to misbehave once they had her imprisoned was the one thing that had brought the plan to fruition – apprehend the SeeD and hold him prisoner, threatening harm to come to him should she attempt to escape once more.

First he'd need a reasonable excuse to keep Leonhart busy, and he thought that an attempt on the Galbadian President's head was the perfect measure – it'd keep the SeeD indisposed for a while, so long as their so-called hit man didn't get captured too early. Next, they'd have to pit Esthar against SeeD; otherwise Loire would utilize each and every resource he had in order to locate his missing son. The frame-up had come naturally, he himself posing as the dysfunctional youth and slaughtering all those non-believers before the authorities could get their hands on him. With that in place, Loire couldn't do anything about helping his son.

True, there were some bumps on the way, but due to his placement of people – Schipner for instance – they had been smoothed out and the plan had been successful. Now all that was left was to initiate the rest of the original plan – a coup sounded appropriate, considering those pigs murdered Adel when she was weakened.

He could tell that his men were relieved that his hood was shrouding his features; they were still slightly uneasy around him, with good reason of course, but he wanted them to be more focused on the operation they were to carry out.

Christopher smiled to himself. They would be known forever as the heroes who liberated their city from the hands of a fool.

…

Even as she finished dialling the number, she wondered if it really was a good time. Esthar was currently preparing to wage war against SeeD in retaliation for the missile base fiasco, and the President probably had his hands full as it was. Still, she knew he deserved to know the current situation, as well as the reason he hadn't been contacted any soon.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Quistis accessed the President's secure line, hoping that there wouldn't be anyone listening, all the while running through her script. If her plan was going to work, she had to have all the answers to their probing questions, and she'd have to anticipate each and every one of them.

Finally, someone on the opposite end picked up and Quistis frowned when she heard how exhausted the man she was trying to reach sounded. "This is President Loire of Esthar. How did you get the number for this line?"

"You gave it to me, sir." Quistis answered quickly. "You don't sound too well."

A relieved sigh was what greeted her before he excused himself for the moment. She heard his footsteps walk away from the phone and, after a moment, heard them returning, the receiver moving slightly as Laguna came back. "Sorry; don't want anyone who'd have a problem with me talking to you coming in."

"It's alright, I completely understand." Quistis stated. "Now, I'm fairly certain you've be wondering about the lack of updates on our end."

"That did come to mind, yeah."

"Well, I'm afraid to inform you of the reason. The Headmaster was forced to step down due to some security protocol. All I will say on the subject is that Seifer Almasy was allowed back into the Garden without warning or first consulting the Commander and that Cid's leaving the Garden was the end result."

"So the Garden's being run by the Commander now."

"Yes. I'm also afraid to say the Garden has been alerted to the situation, though the Commander does not believe someone was able to successfully infiltrate the missile base to destroy Trabia, and therefore blames your government for the tragedy.

"Fortunately," Quistis continued before Laguna could cut in. "I've managed to convince the Commander to allow me to explain to the Garden what has happened, since I was there first hand."

"When will that be?"

"1400 hours, Balambi time." Quistis answered quickly. "Which means I have less than an hour to get ready. I'm hoping it'll work though."

"I hope so to. The last thing we need is a war. Good luck."

"Thank you sir." Quistis said as the connection was terminated. Sighing deeply to herself, she grabbed a hold of what she had written down so far and frowned. I thing I'm going to need it.

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**_9:20:09 _**

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Kiros was slowly becoming frustrated.

True, the dark skinned male possessed patience that could rival a warrior monk's, but the fact was he'd been on hold for about twenty minutes now and he was sorely tempted to reach into the receiver and strangle the person responsible for making him way, regardless of the fact that it was impossible to do so.

Looking over, he could tell that Christine was having an equally antagonising time sorting through Schipner's past – from the sounds of her cursing; Kiros would have to guess that the traitor hadn't pulled any stops when it came to covering his tracks.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and the examiner entered the room, carrying a manila folder with him. Kiros stared at the man – who barely came to reach his own height of 6'4" – before glaring at the phone in his hand and turning to glare at the man once again. Slamming the receiver down onto its hook, he folded his arms across his chest. "If you were on your way here, why the hell was I put on hold?"

"I assure you that my assistant is a moron and he will be fired when I return." The doctor replied, handing him the folder. "Those are the results of the autopsy I completed."

Kiros leafed through the file, and frowned when he saw the identity of the dead man – it was the pilot of the plane that had crashed. He looked back up at the man, frowning thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

"I checked it three times, young man, there is no mistake, that man is the one found burning in that fire wreckage in Trabia. Now because his body was so badly burnt beyond recognition, I went straight towards a dental identification. Because the teeth aren't all muscle, they were successful in remaining intact. Also because they are attached to gums along the top and bottom of the body's mouth, I was able to extract that DNA and compile a positive ID from what little I had. It really is fascinating exactly how much you can discover from such a miniscule amount of human tissue—"

"Thanks doctor." Kiros said, having become frustrated with the elder man's ramblings. He knew how identification could take place by examining a tooth.

The doctor, not really having been offended by the interruption, simply shrugged. "Oh you're quite welcome, lad. I shall return to the morgue and begin sealing the body – no doubt my assistant is lazing about on his skinny white…"

The rest of the man's ramblings decreased in volume the further away from the room he became. Kiros sighed in relief – he'd heard the man ramble on before and was seriously considering him to be worse his is verbal daunting than Odine himself.

The phone to his right rang and Kiros picked it up before the sound could repeat. Holding it against his ear as he leafed through the results once more, he listened as the man on the opposite end spoke. "Sir, we've just received contact from the ground team surveying the crash. They've requested they speak to whoever's in charge immediately."

"That would be me," Kiros muttered. "Patch them through."

Christine looked up from her searching, and Kiros handed the manila folder he held to her. She quickly leafed through it, a frown gracing her features, even as Kiros was patched into the ground team leader. "Sir, this is Captain Jonah Bartona speaking. We've widened our search ratio to about thirty meters from the crash site and we've just come across another body."

Kiros stiffened, which gained Christine's attention. The former Soldier raised a hand in order to keep her quiet as he continued to listen. "It took a while as the body was buried under the snow, but we've managed to identify him has Harold Schipner."

It was at this point Kiros almost dropped the phone, but managed to catch it to hear the rest. "According to what we've seen sir, he was shot at point-blank range. As to how long ago, we have no idea – the snow has made the body's temperature drop to the point where it's difficult to discern T.O.D."

"Get the body back to us. We'll take it from there. Keep searching, in case you find anything else."

"Copy that. Over and out."

The line went dead and Kiros hung up the phone, feeling slightly dazed as he turned to look at Christine's confused features. "Harold Schipner is dead. Someone shot him."

"Good." Christine replied and Kiros had to struggle not to smile. He understood her feelings about Schipner, especially after she'd discovered he had tried to kill James. "But that makes it three people accounted for – two bodies, one barely alive."

Kiros nodded, knowing exactly where she was getting. "So the question remains: why haven't they found Squall?"

Christine shrugged. "I hate to bring this up, but if he really was a terrorist, he might have staged this whole thing in order to escape."

"If he was a terrorist, James would have been dead by now." Kiros pointed out. It was becoming less and less likely that Squall Leonhart was in league with these people. More importantly, if they couldn't find a body, then there was a slim possibility that he was still out there somewhere. "I'll contact Deilia; let her know we have something to report to the President."

…

"All SeeDs are to report to the Ballroom before 1400 hours. I repeat. All SeeDs are to report to the Ballroom before 1400 hours."

Normally, he would have demanded to know why everyone was heading to the Ballroom outside of commencement, but this time, Seifer chose to ignore it. He had more important things to worry about.

He'd managed to break into one of the classrooms and searched the terminals, knowing that whoever it was that had blocked him access in the library wouldn't have expected him to think of this. He'd always considered himself to be a unique thinker.

Seifer had caught up on his notes in no-time, keeping an eye out for anyone who'd bust him for breaking and entering before continuing his research. From the moment he'd begun searching through the Garden database, he'd known he'd hit pay-dirt, and the knowledge that someone – and now he knew exactly who it was – was trying to put up road blocks supported his theory. Now all he'd have to do was report these findings to Cid, and they'd be back on track.

Grabbing his things, he exited the room as excitement began to fill him. The next stage in his mission was about to begin.

…

"Hey Quistis!"

Zell waved the former Instructor over as soon as he'd seen her, Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa with him. Though the latter two weren't exactly SeeDs, they'd wanted to come along. Zell didn't think the Commander'd have a problem with that.

Quistis moved through the throng of people and managed to reach them before anyone could push her off course. "Strange how the Commander wants us to come here." Zell continued.

"What's so important?" Selphie asked. "He's already declared war. Why is he wasting our time?"

"He is not wasting anyone's time." Quistis retorted, sounding slightly offended by the remark. "I managed to convince him to let me tell everyone what really happened in Esthar. Hopefully it will stop this war before it can take full form."

"Really?" Selphie asked excitedly. "Alright! When Quistis says she'll handle it, she really does handle it."

"But what about Seifer?" Zell asked. "D'ya think he'll try and crash the party?"

Quistis shook her head in response. "Whatever Seifer plans to do won't cut it – he's been barred access to the Ballroom for the duration of the meeting. He won't be able to get past the front."

"Nice work!" Zell said. "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

"Actually, the Commander seemingly read my mind." Quistis shrugged. "It was his idea."

"Either way, I say we mosey on in there and grab the good seats before they're all taken." Irvine suggested and everyone moved forward, trying to press their way inside of the Ballroom along with the rest of the Garden's population.

**_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- _**

**_9:40:12 _**

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Having arrived at the other base, he'd sped walked towards his superiors, knowing they would be pleased with the results of their hard work for the last two months. Soon, justice would be served; the enemy would be dead, and there wouldn't be a damned thing those non-believers could do to stop the rise of the regime.

His cellphone rang during mid-stride and he stopped suddenly, taking a moment to glower at the device before picking it up and answering it. "Yes?"

"Sir, we may have a problem." A scrambled voice on the opposite end reported.

He frowned slightly. Last he had heard, there had been a mild concern on his part, but with all things considered things were moving quite smoothly. "What is it?"

"It's Trepe." The voice answered. "She's planning something in the Ballroom at Balamb Garden. It might be cause for concern – I think she's attempting to stop the war."

"You think?" he snapped back. The SeeDs who were in Esthar knew exactly what had happened at the Missile Base. If the bitch were to blab, there would be no cause for war. "Deal with her. Trepe cannot be allowed to ruin today's work, am I making myself clear."

"I was certain you were going to say something like that." The voice replied. "I have one of my men stationed above as a sniper. He will act the part of an Estharian citizen who managed to climb aboard the Ragnarok and stowed away long enough to take a hit on Trepe, accusing her as the one who set off the Missiles in the first place. Garden will be beyond reason at that point and the war will commence as planned."

"If you have everything figured out, why the hell are you wasting my time?" he snapped.

"I had to report to you my findings, sir." The voice replied.

Rolling his eyes, the man hung up and continued towards his destination. Trepe was a nuisance, but according to his subordinate, she was going to be put down very, very soon.

…

Even as he continued to help fly the plane they were on, his mind was running through a cut and dry plan – one he'd thought up just before reaching the Presidential Residence in Galbadia. It was half-baked and he hated working without a well thought out strategy, but he had very little time to work with. It was risky; depending on the reactions of the Estharian soldiers, but it was all he had.

While keeping an eye on the pilot, Squall reached down to his belt, and recognized the feel of an small detonator, next to it was the device that would set it off. It would work – he wouldn't look suspicious walking stead-fast away from a plane that was about to explode, and he could detonate it once everyone was far enough away that it wouldn't kill them. A lot of people would be critically injured, but no fatal casualties would be sustained by the Estharian President.

Still, it didn't change the fact that he was going to hell for this.

Squall didn't see himself as a religious man, but he knew enough about right and wrong to know that what he was doing in order to save a life was very, very wrong. Unfortunately it had to be done.

While maintaining his vigil on the dashboard in front of him, he leaned forward slightly, making sure that the pilot's attention wasn't on him – finding that he was staring out the window for a second – before removing the detonator from his belt and slipping it underneath the dashboard, leaning backwards before the pilot turned away from whatever it was he was looking at.

The SeeD waited a moment, just to be sure, and when the pilot didn't say anything or move to contact anyone, Squall let out the breath he had been holding. He'd done the easy part, and now all he had to do was wait to get to Esthar in order to get to the more difficult part.

…

The calm façade he had set himself into was gone; knowledge of what the terrorists were planning to do.

He had taken a slight detour, checking up on his suspect when he'd heard the call, and had immediately gone into action. If anything happened in that Ballroom, the whole day's situation was going to be a lost cause.

He'd chosen to take the stairs rather than the elevator, especially when it hadn't moved when he'd wanted it to, taking the steps three at a time before jumping the length of the final flight and smashing his shoulder through the door leading into the first floor. Not pausing a beat, he made his way towards the Ballroom. Maybe he should have gone after all.

He stopped in front of the doors, seeing two SeeDs standing on either side. They immediately saw him coming and stepped into his path and Seifer growled. He was going to gut the wise-ass who was responsible for this.

"Get outta my way." Seifer said as he moved to cut past them. Both SeeDs stood their ground and forced him back.

"Get lost Almasy." One of the SeeDs snapped. "You may be back, but there are certain places you can't get into."

"The Ballroom's one of them?" Seifer asked incredulously. "What happens in the fucking Ballroom?"

"None of your business, that's what."

Seifer rolled his eyes and moved to walk away, before turning back and knocking out one of the SeeDs. Before the other one could make a sound, Seifer wrapped his arm around the man's neck and simply held him like that for a couple of seconds, before the SeeD went down. Neither one stirred and, after briefly checking them out, knew they were still alive. Cid would never forgive him if they weren't.

Grabbing an exposed revolver from the pocket of one of the SeeDs, Seifer, unhinged the safety and strode inside as carefully and quietly as he could. "Sorry fella's," he said, directing his gaze back at the two fallen SeeDs. "But I've got a job to do."

**_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- _**

**_The time is now 10pm _**

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	21. 21st Hour

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**The Following takes place between 10p.m. and 11p.m. **

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_So far, so good…_ she thought to herself as she took in the large crowd.

She and the others had been the first ones to get to the Ballroom, besides the large swarm who had been there before them. Soon afterwards, the swarm had grown; it was a small wonder that everyone fit inside of the room. To think that this was but a fraction of the number SeeD had been before the Garden war on Centra was a bit overwhelming.

Still, she had a job to do, and she needed to regain her focus. If Squall, who normally strode away from crowds, could speak to a large group who was waiting for instruction, she could pull it off.

Quistis knew she had to, or else everyone was finished.

…

They had arrived merely a few minutes ago, the flight having felt longer than it had been. He figured that it was simply because of anxiety – the President was about to be assassinated and he needed to do everything he could to stop it.

After assisting with landing the plane, he had left the cockpit with the pilot, following behind as the rest of the soldiers continued down the ramp. He recalled that the last time he had arrived in Esthar, it had been in handcuffs, but stowed the mental recollection. He had a job he needed to focus on.

He waited until everyone was far enough away – the soldiers moving just out of the biggest range of the explosion while flight crew moved towards the plane – before depressing the detonator. A second later, a deafening sound emitted from behind, throwing him and anyone else too close to the explosion to the ground. He turned around to see how much damage had been done and realized that the front half of the plane was practically _gone_; the rest of the air carrier following suit as it was encased in flames.

One of the soldiers rose to his feet and shouted something before the rest of the plane exploded, flames lancing out onto the hanger of another plane and, before anyone could react, that plane exploded as well.

Squall mentally berated himself – he hadn't thought about the weapons and grenades left behind on the plane, possibly for war preparations.

…

"The hell is going on here?" Rainer shouted. Debris was falling from the planes that had already been destroyed, and the maintenance crews were busy trying to put out the fires. "Are we under attack!"

"It's got to be the Gardens!" one of the soldiers shouted. "They're attacking us!"

"Figures…" Rainer muttered before pulling out his communicator. When he activated it, however, all he heard was static. "The hell?"

Another explosion rocked the room, but Rainer was able to keep his footing. He threw the communicator down uselessly, frowning thoughtfully. "They've cut off the Airstation's communications systems from the rest of Esthar!" he shouted, his men immediately falling into alert. He turned to the pilot and frowned when he saw the man was shaking. There was good reason for it – it looked as though the cockpit had been the origin of the explosion. That didn't stop him from shaking the man and trying to get him to snap out of it.

Turning back around, he counted his men, only to discover that there was one soldier mission. He checked out his readouts from his helmet, but they also seemed to be experiencing technical difficulties. He cursed loudly, but was still able to hear one of the maintenance crew members shout out a feeble warning as more Estharian made ships landed, despite the debris. Just when he was about to question the act (after all, his team was the only one scheduled to come into Esthar), out climbed several Galbadian soldiers, weapons raised as they began to fire on them before Rainer could figure out just what the hell had happened.

…

During the chaos, Squall had been able to sneak away, passing through a door that would lead him to the Presidential Residence. Because of the inconvenience it would serve to the members of the government to travel to the Airstation via the hoverpods, the Estharians installed a secret passage that would instantly get him to the Presidential Residence. He had only used it once – two months ago; before all of this madness had ensued.

Moving out of the passage, he immediately moved to the elevator, pressing the button that would lead him to the Presidential Office. The men stationed nearby didn't seem to notice him, and he was thankful for it, at least for the moment.

His miscalculation would certainly cost some lives on the Estharians' part. He hadn't thought they would simply leave explosives on board of a ship – even if security was around.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped and the lights flickered out, only to be replaced by the red glow of the emergency lighting. A beeping sound filled the room thereafter, blocking out the alarms and Squall accepted the transmission.

"My men are in position." President Caraway's voice came in, surprisingly enough, loud and clear. "We've cut all contact from the Airstation to the Presidential Residence, so there shouldn't be anyone around to stop you from reaching the President. The Estharians are holding off against my men, but I can't completely assure that there won't be any casualties."

"Keep up the distraction. I'm almost there. Over and out."

Squall cut the transmission off before pulling out a panel, wiring revealing itself to him as he reached inside. He'd have to override the emergency stop in order to get to the President and he'd need to do it fast.

**_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- _**

**_10:12:12 _**

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There couldn't have been a better addition to the plan if he had thought of it himself.

According to his moles, there was an attack at the Airstation followed by Galbadian soldiers forcing their way into the building. The Galbadians were finally playing their part – keeping the Estharians distracted while they killed the Estharian President.

Even better was they could blame the whole thing on those Galbadian fools.

Turning to his men, his smile widened. It looked as though things were working in their favour. "Let's go pay the President of Esthar a visit."

His men nodded in equal enthusiasm and they were off.

…

"Sent Estharian troops over to the Airstation immediately!" Laguna shouted quickly. He'd just received a report from a Security officer in the Estharian Airstation that an attack had been staged before suddenly the transmission went dead. A couple of minutes later, they'd managed up upload images of Estharian aircrafts heading straight towards Esthar and, moments later, Galbadian Soldiers were reported to have begun an invasion.

_Ibrihim… what the hell are you thinking..._ Laguna couldn't help but wonder to himself.

"What's going on?" Ellone asked her uncle and Laguna shook his head. "Why are the Galbadian's attacking us?"

The girl had come up to give him some company; to take his mind off of what had happened. But the fact that they were under attack made him worry about her safety. She wasn't a trained fighter, and even though she knew some things from travelling with SeeD for ten years, he wasn't willing to put his faith on just how much she'd learned. He'd never seen her fight before, and the fact that she had been taken hostage numerous times was also disconcerting.

"I don't know." Laguna finally answered when Ellone gave him a concerned look. "Maybe you should get back to your room."

"But I want to stay here." She complained.

Just before Laguna could retort though, the door to his office opened and an Estharian soldier stepped through. Laguna thought it was strange that the man hadn't knocked before entering, but before he could call him out on the intrusion, the soldier reached for a gun and fired. Laguna caught movement out of the corner of his eye and watched his niece – a gunshot wound in the middle of her forehead – fell backwards against the wall and slid down it, her head lolled into her chest as she stopped moving.

First he was shocked but soon outrage took over and he reached to grab the gun he had stowed in his desk, but the soldier was faster, levelling the weapon at him before he could even move, speaking through the helmet that garbled his voice into an unrecognizable but intelligible buzzing. "Don't even consider it."

The soldier moved towards the door, the gun still trained on the President before he typed in a code. The door automatically locked from the inside before the soldier smashed the device with his fist, effectively preventing anyone from disabling it. Turning back to the President, the soldier moved further into the room, trying to be discreet as he shook the pain away from his hand. "Move away from the desk."

Laguna frowned but did as he was told, still remembering the .9mm he had stowed away on the inside of his pant leg. The soldier moved forward once again, checking the phone and comlink to make sure he hadn't done anything to it, before finally lowering his weapon and moving away from him. "We need to talk."

Laguna was indignant. This man had the balls to just come in here, commit murder right in front of him, and then tell him they needed to talk? Though he had no idea what was going on, he knew that he had nothing to talk about with this man. "You come in here, you _murder_ my niece, you threaten me with a gun and you expect that I'm going to want to talk to you?"

Just as the soldier turned back around, Laguna pulled the .9mm free from its holster and aimed it at him, barely repressed rage stopping him from pulling the trigger immediately thereafter. He wanted answers – first his son was killed and now his niece? What else did these terrorists want to take from him?

Laguna didn't know what he had expected the soldier to do – to pull out his own weapon, shoot him, maybe incapacitate him, or force him to drop the weapon. He was the one the terrorists were after – he had been thinking about it for a while and figured that it had to be true. After all, if Anderson had known of their relation, then that had to mean the terrorists who'd helped the grieving brother attempt to kill Squall in the prisons had to know about it.

Instead of immediately acting to remove the weapon from Laguna's grasp though, the soldier simply stood there, his arms at his sides in a leisurely stance. He didn't make a move for any of the weapons he had on him and simply stared at the President. The most aggravating thing to Laguna was that he couldn't make out a single detail of his expression behind the helmet the intruder wore. He thought maybe he was buying time; that he was simply there to distract him while a sniper got into position or something - anything to explain the madness that was happening. He kept his stance ready, just in case the intruder chose to dive at him and try to take the weapon - Laguna's only line of defence - away from him.

After what felt like a couple of eternities later, the intruder finally said something. "You won't shoot me."

It had been enough of any reaction for Laguna to prove him wrong; he pulled the trigger and the bullet whizzed by the soldier's head, imbedding into the wall nearby. The soldier didn't so much as flinch and Laguna's temper was slowly rising once again. The man's arrogance was just so infuriating and the President's finger curved around the trigger once again. "Say that again, and I won't miss."

The soldier sighed in exasperation, but didn't make any move to disarm him or to draw his own weapon. "We don't have time for this, Laguna."

Laguna was slightly surprised; he'd have expected the terrorists to address him by his last name. Still, he stayed his stance, and figured it was some kind of trick. "We? I don't see any _we _around here. _You're_ up here all by yourself, and I _know_ you're not including me into the mix. So just shut up and do what you came here to do already."

"I would if you would stop acting like a moron."

Laguna suddenly stopped, eyes widening in shock as the words sank in. When he'd told Squall about what had happened in Winhill all those years ago, the SeeD had confided that he'd thought he was a moron. Even before that, he'd admitted that he'd seen Laguna as nothing by a silly Galbadian soldier. It came as something as a surprise that this man waltzed into his office, killed Ellone and refused to even shoot him.

But to say the same words his son had always thought of whenever Ellone used her special powers to send him into the past...?

"…Who _are_ you?"

The soldier didn't say or do anything for a second, and just as Laguna didn't think he was going to answer his question, he pulled his hands up to his helmet and removed it.

"I'm your son." Squall Leonhart answered.

Dustin Taylor frowned as he waited impatiently. There had been a slight delay when the Balamb Garden Commander's assistant came in with a message. Because of that, Trepe's friends left the meeting, leaving her by herself. He wouldn't be surprised at all if it had anything to do with Esthar – there was an assassination team stationed in Esthar in order to take out the President. Whatever they tried to do, it wasn't going to work – not by a long shot.

Now that Trepe was by herself, there wasn't anyone around who'd be able to stop him from shooting her. She'd caused enough trouble to the cause, and now it was time for her to help them out, even if it wasn't voluntary.

Finally, the bitch stepped out, dressed in the same uniform as everyone else. She looked just as pretentious as most scholastic men and women were, and it nauseated him to know she was working hard in order to destroy their plans.

He waited for her to get behind the podium, the scope positioned over her face and he levelled his finger over the trigger, waiting for the right moment.

…

Seifer didn't know why Rinoa and the others left so suddenly, but he didn't care. He had to find the intruder before he made things a whole lot worse.

He'd already done a visual sweep of the ground floor – he'd have been busted and thrown out if he'd gone to search physically – and was directing his attention skyward, wondering if he'd see anything. Applause broke out all around him as Quistis took the podium, preparing to explain why the stupid meeting was being held in the first place.

And he suddenly saw it: light reflecting off of metal in his immediate left.

He knew he wouldn't be able to stop it in time if he ran up and tugged the woman out of the way, so he did the next best thing.

…

One minute, everyone was just quieting down from the applause and Quistis was about to speak, and the next, Xu heard someone yell at everyone to get to the ground and _saw_ Seifer Almasy standing in the middle of the room, shooting up into the air with a hand-held weapon. Everyone was in a state of panic, a couple of people screamed while everyone else tried to figure out just what the hell had happened. Xu scowled at the troublemaker, wondering how he'd gotten past the SeeDs, and realizing that they hadn't even **been** there when she'd shown up.

Spotting the two missing SeeDs entering the room, wincing in pain, she immediately pointed towards the ex-cadet, who had just lowered his weapon. "Arrest him!" she shouted.

Seifer seemed to hear it too, because he immediately tried to run towards one of the other exits, only to be stopped by SeeD members who were just climbing back onto their feet. He tried to avoid all of them, but a couple of them managed to trip him up, forcing him to land painfully onto his left side, even as Xu made her way towards them. She noted in sastisfaction that all of his attempts to rise to his feet were thwarted by the SeeDs surrounding him and keeping him pinned onto the ground. She could hear him cursing them even as she stopped to stand in front of him, arms folded across her chest.

Seifer cut himself off from a particularly expression – probably a vulgar one, knowing him - in a language she didn't understand before staring up at her and sneered in her direction. "What's the matter? You didn't think I'd skip out on the party, did you?"

"Oh, I've been waiting to do this for a long time." Xu snarled at him. "You are hereby—"

"Wait!"

The SeeDs pinning Seifer down looked up and Xu turned around to see Quistis making her way towards them, a distressed expression on her face. "Let him go! Wait."

"What?" Xu exclaimed. "He just tried to kill thousands of people in this very room and you're telling me to let him go?"

"No." Quistis said as soon as she stopped in front of them. "I'm telling you to let him go because he just saved my life."

Xu stared at Quistis before turning to look at Seifer. Finally she threw her arms up into the air, giving up on figuring out what the other girl meant.

Quistis seemed to sense this because she began to explain herself. "When Seifer told everyone to get down and started shooting, I ducked as well, but a bullet whizzed right above my head as I did and hit the wall behind me. Had I been standing, I would have been killed."

The former Instructor turned to look at the SeeDs restraining the former cadet. "Let him go, now."

"Do what she says." Xu added in a shocked tone, and the SeeDs immediately released Seifer from their custody. Despite her shock and distrust of Seifer Almasy, she trusted Quistis as well as her judgement. She just hoped the younger woman was, once again, correct in her assumptions.

Xu turned her attention towards Quistis. "So what do we do?"

"Seal off all the exits to the Garden." Quistis stated. "I don't want anyone to enter or leave the premises. Send SeeD teams to every escape route you can think of."

"Then what?" Xu asked.

"Tell them to hold their position until I give the word on the P.A. system."

Xu saluted, just as Quistis hauled Seifer up to his feet. Given that she was junctioned, Xu didn't have to question how it was done. "As for you, you're coming with me."

"And why would I want to do something like that?" Seifer sneered, seemingly ignoring the fact that Quistis just saved him from punishment and persecution.

"Because I know you know who the traitor is." Quistis answered simply, the familiar expression of rage darkening her expression slightly. "And you're going to lead me straight to them. I have a few words I'd like to share with them."

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**_10:40:13 _**

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When the alarms had sounded, Kiros and Christine had broken into a run. Neither one knew whether or not Deilia had explained the situation to the President, and it was no longer considered their primary concern – something had happened and they wanted to find out what it was.

Kiros wanted to call Ward and to tell him to head to the Presidential Office to check up on Laguna, but because the other man could no longer speak, it'd make things far more difficult. He'd have to find him and tell him what he wanted done in person.

They still didn't have much evidence against Schipner besides the visual recording James took, and Kiros didn't believe it would hold up in trial. Of course it could cause some doubt, but not enough to do much of anything. Schipner was dead; they couldn't interrogate him for the answers, so that meant they'd have to find one of the terrorists and have them confess to everything.

Kiros didn't like that plan, but he couldn't think of anything else.

Up ahead, they noticed the familiar blonde woman moving away from them and, after calling out her name, Deilia turned around, apparently surprised to see them. "What's going on?" Christine asked once they'd caught up with her.

"It's bad." Deilia said, shaking her head. "The Galbadian's have attacked the Airstation, probably in retaliation to the events that took place this morning."

_What the hell is Caraway thinking?_ Kiros thought to himself, even as Christine spoke.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"We have to get to the President." Kiros said. "Find a place to relocate him before the Galbadians manage to infiltrate the residence."

Nodding, all three people continued down the hallway.

…

For a while he couldn't move, couldn't speak. He simply stared straight ahead at the man who had walked into his office nearly half an hour prior. He couldn't believe his eyes; couldn't believe what this man – his own son – had just done. From what he had learned, both had been extremely close as children.

So why had he done it.

Squall had moved from his position towards the desk when Laguna raised the gun once again, stopping him in his tracks. He thought he'd seen confusion flicker across the teenager's expression before it was carefully masked once again. Still, he didn't make any move after that.

"How could you?" Laguna asked imploringly.

He took a glance back at his niece's body, but couldn't stand to look at her for more than a second. He didn't know what to think; what to believe. All he understood was that Squall had just shot Ellone as if it had been the easiest thing to do. He was glad to know he had survived (though he still didn't know what had happened), but to just come here and kill his own sibling? It was a seemingly impossible task that he'd just accomplished without batting an eye.

He knew his arm was shaking and he struggled to steady it, disbelief filling him up so much he was sure it was showing. Squall simply stood where he was, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A sudden possibility dawned on him and, though he was saddened and angered by the prospect, it was the only thing that made any sense whatsoever. He shifted the gun in his hand, steadying it quickly before he willed himself to speak again. "You're not really him are you?" he asked in a hollow voice. "You're not really Squall, are you?"

Confusion passed through his features once again, but this time it didn't retreat as quickly as it had appeared. "Why have you come here? To kill me? To kill my niece? Who are you, really?"

"I already told you." He said after another moment passed between them.

"Liar!" Laguna shouted, sorely tempted to end this. "I know you're lying; it's not possible for you to be him. You have his skills and you've definitely studied him well, but not well enough to know that he would **_never_** kill his sister!"

"That wasn't Ellone." He stated.

Laguna tightened his grip on the weapon. "What are you talking about? Of course that was Ellone! What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"Ellone is in Deling City," he interrupted. "with President Caraway. You can call and ask him yourself."

Laguna frowned thoughtfully. It could be that he was simply trying to by himself time; bluff him out, possibly steal his weapon. His grip tightened on the object, knowing he'd fight him for it if he had to.

"The Cabinet Representative, Harold Schipner—" he started, but Laguna cut him off.

"Is a traitor. I already know that."

"Is an Adelist." He explained, as if Laguna had never interrupted him.

Laguna frowned, even as the teenager continued. "He was planning to capture me and deviate away from the Shumi Village. He had even planned to take the life of your Security Chief, Logans. But during a struggle—"

"I already know what happened." Laguna snapped. "The plane crashed. James got out, but was critically injured."

"Schipner must have survived the crash, because when I came to, I was locked in a cell. Ellone—the _real_ Ellone—was in the cell next to mine. She told me that during the assassination attempt on you two months ago the Adelists used the plot on your life in order to capture her and replace her with something that resembled her. That's how the murderer got into the building earlier. That's how those people were murdered, and possibly how Anderson got into the place without warning."

"How the Missile Base was infiltrated." Laguna muttered.

The calm calculating expression on the teenager's face was gone the instant he had said those words, replaced with a look of shocked disbelief. "What?"

"One of the Adelists broke into the Missile Base – killed the soldiers and forced the people working there to set a target for the missiles to hit and then wire it to a remote so he could launch the missiles from anywhere. They destroyed Trabia Garden."

At last, Laguna lowered the weapon he held, finally believing that this man was telling him the truth – that he really was his son. The President was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming joy that threatened to burst out. Both Ellone and Squall were alive and well.

"It's not over yet." Squall said after a moment and Laguna was brought out of his own mental musings. "Everything that has happened today was nothing but a distraction; my frame-up and death, Trabia's destruction, everything. The Adelists want a war to break out, to reduce their main threats into defenceless nations. They're next move is to kill you."

"What about the Galbadians?" Laguna asked suddenly. "They shouldn't be attacking us—"

"Have you noticed that no Estharian soldier has died in the face of this battle?" Squall interrupted. "It was a diversion, so I could get here and speak to you in private. President Caraway gave the order to his men to not kill your people. No doubt they don't understand why, but at least they're following their orders."

"So what do you have in mind?" Laguna asked. "This team's on their way to the capital—"

"Actually, I have reason to believe they've already arrived." Squall interrupted yet again. "They're all Estharians – thus they have access to Estharian technology. They probably got their hands on some of your airships. That would mean they're planning on executing their plan very soon."

…

With the Galbadians fighting off the Estharians, entering the Presidential Residence had been easier than Christopher had thought. The fools were so busy in fighting off their own allies that they hadn't even thought their true enemy would make their appearance.

All things considered, everything was going better than planned.

He had received a call earlier saying that the attempt on Trepe's life had been foiled, and he frowned, knowing their leader would never accept that. Trepe was obviously a thorn in their side, and because of the hit, she would know she was being targeted and would be ready for the next attempt. That was the problem with thorns; even if they went down, the perpetrator would still possess the marks. He just hoped his informant was handling the situation – they couldn't afford to have SeeD regain their senses.

Nevertheless, the only aircraft they had would take them roughly two hours to get to Esthar, and by then it would already be too late. The regime would have already reclaimed their rightful positions as rulers of Esthar and the remaining non-believing superpowers would soon fall after that. And finally, the rest of the world would be made to believe that Adel and her loyalists would be the only ones to truly be in control.

Loire might have gotten lucky in disposing of Adel, but even fools luck runs out eventually.

…

Lieutenant Samantha Red Wing frowned in annoyance and disgust as she watched the battle unfold before her eyes. She had wanted the Galbadian's to go to war against Esthar for their crimes, only now that they were there, it didn't feel nearly as gratifying.

They had arrived at the Airstation directly after the Estharians who were finally leaving their country. They'd waited until after they'd landed to open fire, and when an explosion took over, that didn't deter them. The President had warned them that something like that might have happened.

Red Wing didn't know whether to be glad the President had known about this or to be sceptical about the origin of this knowledge.

She frowned thoughtfully, even as the Estharians continued to return fire, outrage beginning to grab hold of her. The enemy wasn't even trying to kill them; she'd noticed her men had been disarmed multiple times during the fire-fight, and it was only when they'd gone back for their lost weapons that they'd been hurt, though not serious.

_They're not taking any of this seriously._ She thought to herself in disgust. _They think this is all a big game!_

Looking around, she noticed that her men were starting to think the same thing. It was insulting to know that their enemy – the very one they had fought nearly two decades ago – no longer believed them to be worthy of their attention.

"Strengthen weapon fire!" She shouted to her own platoon. "If they won't take us seriously, then we'll just have to make them!"

…

After leaving Quistis behind, Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Irvine had made it straight to the Ragnarok. They hadn't contacted Nida – if the terrorists were planning to attack SeeD again, they'd need him to pilot Garden out of range.

Thought not of a mental state to pilot anything, Selphie was behind the wheel, gripping it tightly. She knew it had been a bad idea to leave Esthar, though with the cabinet party and civilians pointing fingers, she knew they hadn't had much of a choice. She just hoped they'd get to Esthar in time to avert an attack.

"Those bastards are gonna pay for what they've done." Selphie declared, to which she was greeted with silent nods of agreement.

She knew that neither Squall nor the SeeDs who'd died in Trabia's bombing would condone revenge, and she honestly didn't have any will to follow through with it. But if they were targeting Sir Laguna, then they had to stop them. She was pretty sure the others knew that the war that had just broken out between Galbadia and Esthar would be the perfect cover for these terrorists to come out of hiding, kill the President and blame it on the Galbadians.

_Please let us get there in time…_ Selphie prayed to herself. _Please let us stop this stupid war before too much blood is shed. _

…

Quistis' orders had been followed to the T.

Even as Seifer and Quistis emerged from the Ballroom, they'd seen SeeDs scrambling to their positions, Xu ordering and adjusting their stations to her own specifications. Quistis wasn't sceptical – she trusted the veteran SeeD to get things done.

Seifer had led her passed the elevator – he'd said something about it taking too long – and towards the stairs, kicking the door open and moving to scale the large stairwell, Quistis not to far behind him. She didn't know where he was leading her, but she had a feeling that a trap was the last thing on his mind.

It had made sense the instant he had caused the distraction – Cid had brought him to the Garden in order to locate the traitor. He had probably made the call after the initial charges had been made on Squall; how would Seifer have returned to the Garden so quickly? It also explained why Fujin and Raijin were absent – Seifer would want to go covert, and getting caught had probably been the last thing he had expected.

Cid must have realized Seifer was onto something – why else would he have given up control over the Garden during such a crisis?

Still, the prospect of the former cadet biding his time before finally acting was a foreign concept. For as long as she'd known him, Seifer Almasy had been rather brash when he'd been a student at the Garden – acting first and asking questions later – but this new Seifer put her on edge. She had a vague idea of what he'd had to go through once the Sorceress War had ended – persecution, distrust, anything that would go hand in hand with being a country's scapegoat. She felt a little sorry for him, but also understood that he was very capable of taking care of himself.

Finally, they'd reached the third floor landing and, when Quistis glared at him, the former cadet shrugged. "Well, the traitor won't suspect us taking the stairs."

"Where are they?" she asked, ignoring the logic in his statement.

"Follow me and you'll see."

Rolling her eyes, she followed him - knowing full well that Seifer was secretly enjoying knowing something she didn't – wondering why they were on the third floor in the first place.

Seifer kicked at the door and, after a couple of tries, it swung open, nearly falling off their hinges as he strode into the room, Quistis following closely behind. Nida, who was just waiting for the lift to take him up to the bridge, stopped and turned around, startled to see who had just barged into the room.

"Nida, I need you to seal off this floor. Do not let anything get up here. Use the Headmaster's locking mechanism for the elevators if you have to, just do it."

Nida simply looked confused but before he could ask why, the door to one of the offices opened and Commander Greenwood stepped outside, probably having been alerted of the noise. "What in Hyne's name is going on up here?" he demanded, his gaze shifting from Seifer, to Quistis and to Nida for a brief second.

Quistis was about to explain their position, when Seifer stopped her. She stared at him in confusion, even as Seifer turned his attention to the Commander. "Hey Greenwood." Seifer greeted simply, though Quistis could detect resentment in his tone. "So why don't you tell us how it feels to be a hypocrite."

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**_The time is now 11pm _**

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_I know that there's part in this chapter where it doesn't divide two specific scenes. I've tried to separate them, but the __document manager is being a pain in the ass again, so obviously, I've kept them this way just so I can post the update. When the document manager is feeling more co-operative, then I'll try again. _


	22. 22nd Hour

_If the translation near the end is inaccurate, please accept my apologies; my translator isn't exactly the most accurate thing. Otherwise, enjoy the chapter._

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**The Following takes place between 11p.m. and 12a.m.**

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The Commander frowned in confusion and Quistis first looked to Seifer in shock before redirecting her gaze onto her superior, wondering just what exactly was going on.

"Hypocrite?" the Commander asked after a moment passed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You betray us all and then have the gall to turn the Garden against me because _I_ betrayed Garden for the Sorceress?" Seifer sneered. "That's what's called a hypocrite, _Connie._"

The Commander's frown deepened at the name, but he still appeared undeterred. "I didn't have to turn the Garden against you, Almasy. You did that with your actions. As for these…ludicrous…accusations, I'm afraid I don't know where you came up with such conspiracy ideas."

"Seifer, what are you talking about?" Quistis asked. Nida appeared to have frozen in his tracks.

"Think about it already; things have been moving perfectly for Connie and his fucking faction. First, Squall gets set up for murder – how fucking convenient is that? And the Estharians fucking know where to find him – how's that possible? The only ones who knew where he was staying were Garden and the Galbadians. I doubt Caraway was gonna give that info up. Cid definitely didn't do it. Then, outta the blue, when Cid comes back, he's impeached on the fucking spot – not much of an explanation, not given a set about of time to vacate the premises – nothing like that. Then, right after that, Garden is headed to war and when you tried to stop it, you almost got axed."

Quistis frowned thoughtfully even as Seifer continued. "Too many things have gone right for these fucking Adelists and the man responsible is staring us right in the fucking face and claiming innocence. And he would have gotten away with it if Cid hadn't been smart enough to suspect something in the first place."

"Sir, is this true?" Nida suddenly asked.

The Commander just stood where he was, his expression carefully blank as the accusations went flying. But the more she thought about it, the more it did make sense. The Commander had access to security lines and could have easily tapped into them and sent the frequency to the Estharian aircraft heading towards Deling City. He was also responsible for Cid's leaving and, while he tried to cover his tracks well enough, he made it blatantly obvious that he didn't want Seifer around for some reason. Cid must have known that Seifer would sort it out – he was a fresh set of eyes, but he also knew the Garden up and down from his days as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee. Then, the Commander simply agrees to her request when a few hours later she is nearly killed in front of the entire Garden. There were just too many coincidences for it to work out otherwise.

"I suppose the term would be 'the jig is up'." Conrad stated with a shrug. "No more use in lying – it appears you have all the answers."

"Wasn't easy." Seifer frowned. "What, with you locking me out of the files I was searching through. You forgot the classrooms though, Ace."

Conrad chuckled and Quistis knew that her shock was showing. "Either way, I must commend you. Had I been a tad more careful around Cid, the plan would have gone through quite perfectly and you wouldn't have meddled into affairs of which you have little knowledge of."

"Nida, I believe I gave you an order!" Quistis shouted and Nida moved into action, leaving the trio alone. The former Instructor turned her glare towards Conrad, her expression voicing her growing fury. "You condemned those people to death with your actions today. First Esthar, then Squall and Trabia, and now you plan on watching as a war you've been helping to orchestrate destroys us all?"

"Only for us to pick up the pieces and begin anew." Conrad stated. "I believe it is quite fitting, actually. Esthar's current government overthrew our true leader and forced her loyal followers into hiding. I myself was forced to an orphanage in Dollet, away from people I cared about because of that ridiculous rebellion.

"Next, SeeD was hired to kill Adel as she was recovering from her time in stasis. An unfitting end to a brilliant leader – to be killed while unable to defend herself - a coward's way to deal with things.

"As for Galbadia, they have been our sworn enemy since the beginning." Conrad concluded. "As soon as the next stage of the plan has begun, there's nothing that non-believers such as yourselves can do about it."

"There is one thing I can do." Quistis said darkly. She took a step forward, towards the Commander as he watched her cautiously. "You are under arrest for conspiracy against the Estharian government, the massacre of those five people, and the deaths of the SeeDs in the Trabian region, including Squall Leonhart."

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that." Conrad said and, as if on cue, three more SeeDs entered the room from Conrad's office. None of them made any moves to arrest the traitor; instead, they all stepped into his path. "I still have far too much to be accomplished in order for the plan to work out smoothly.

The three SeeDs took another step forward. Quistis reached for her rante, but Seifer stopped her with a look, just as Conrad moved passed the group. "Go after Greenwood. I got these ones."

Frowning slightly in confusion, she nodded anyway, just as the first of the men jumped forward. Seifer stopped him from following Quistis by tripping him up before throwing a punch that sent him backwards. The other two stared at the former cadet as Seifer waved them on.

Conrad had just made it to the doors when two lasers nearly struck him, forcing him to back away. He turned around to see Quistis, rante in hand and in her fighting stance. Conrad simply laughed. "You think you can best me, Trepe?"  
"I know I can." Quistis said and both sprung to attack.

_**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**_

The elevators had been out of service – probably due to the alarms caused by Galbadia's attack – which forced Christopher and his men to scale the stairs. It had taken a while, but they'd finally made it, after having to take out a few of the Estharian soldiers who had tried feebly to stop them.

_We're almost there…_ Christopher thought to himself. _We're so close I can actually taste our victory._

"Fan out." Christopher ordered. "Take out anyone who tries to get into the Presidential Office."

Once they nodded, Christopher continued towards his destination.

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Even from where they were, Zell could tell that things had gotten bad.

The Airstation was nearly completely destroyed – the hanger of the building having been reduced to rubble under the fire-power of the Estharians and Galbadians. They were too far away to actually see if anyone was still alive, but they could tell from the numerous fires that had broken out; things were going to get ugly.

Zell just hoped they'd be able to break it up before it was too late to stop it.

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_**11:17:24**_

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The man he'd knocked down slowly got back up, rubbing his hand against his mouth and finding there was blood before joining his comrades in the fight. Seifer simply knocked another one aside; tripping the man and watching him bump into another before he was suddenly grabbed from behind. Moving his head forward, he smashed it backwards, knowing he broke the cartilage in the man's nose. As the enemy tried to staunch the blood flow, Seifer took the opportunity to throw his foot out, knocking the man onto his back.

The henchmen weren't SeeDs – they weren't even junctioned, judging by the way they fought. If they had been, Seifer would have been in a lot of trouble. The Hyperion had been left behind, a stupid move on his part, so he was forced to operate on hand to hand fighting – a feat he excelled at, of course, but not his favourite mode of fighting.

Tired of it, Seifer reached forward, grabbed a sword from the belt of one of the fallen henchmen, and held it at the ready. It was better for him to fight with a sword than anything (though he still thought the Hyperion would have been better).

One of the men lunged forward and, even as he dodged, Seifer realized that the man was going straight for Quistis, who was busy holding off Conrad's attacks. Seifer quickly grasped a hold of his favourite spell and threw it forward, the fire knocking the man onto his stomach.

"Can't you see the grown ups wanna chat?" Seifer asked snidely, even as the other two jumped into the fray.

Quistis threw up her rante once again, blocking another attack of Conrad's before stepping aside, his uppercut cutting through the air next to her head.

The former Instructor knew he was junctioned – just by his movements alone, she could tell. Though she didn't have her junctions with her – she hadn't thought she'd need them for her speech – she was confident she could bring him down.

"None of you could quite wrap your minds around the truth, could you?" Conrad asked, frowning as he did. "Not even Cid could – he made me the bloody Commander for Hyne's sakes. SeeDs are nothing but arrogant fools who believe no one can possibly stand in their way."

"You're a fine one to talk." Quistis bit back. "You believed that Adel was so wonderfully powerful that when she was defeated at last you all were devastated. You couldn't possibly cope with losing her so what did you choose to do? You chose to worry about reviving a regime that should stay dead!"

"You'll never understand! Adel was a being of grandeur. Unlike the current Sorceress, she understood how her powers operated—"  
"And used them to become a dictator!" Quistis interrupted, throwing her rante out in front of her. Conrad dodged it easily, but with the flick of her wrist, the weapon latched onto Conrad and pulled him down. "How long have you been deceiving us?"

"Throughout the entire time I was in Garden," Conrad explained as he assumed his casting stance. "I have always been loyal to the regime. It was my goal first and foremost to be of some use to our cause and my being commander accomplished that."

He cackled gleefully as the spell took form; a water bubble threatened to engulf Quistis inside of itself but Quistis moved out of the way just before it could.

"What makes me laugh the most is that Adel's murderer, Squall Leonhart, was the one to personally recommended me for the job as Commander!" he said happily. "He makes himself out to be some all knowing superhero, and yet he can't even discern between enemy and ally! This is really all his fault you know; had he not given me such a high recommendation, Cid would have **never** even considered me for the job, and we wouldn't have possessed such a stronghold!"

Conrad rushed forward, throwing a fist out in front of him. Quistis blocked it with her forearm, wincing slightly because of the impact and brushed the appendage aside before ducking another punch. She brought her leg out from underneath her, hoping to trip Conrad, only to connect with air as he flipped backwards and out of melee range. He landed in a crouch before looking back up to glare at her.  
"It's always been this way," he continued, despite Quistis throwing her rante out to attack. He simply dodged it and, even as Quistis snapped the weapon back, he threw out a thunder elemental spell, catching the former Instructor off guard as the spell connected, forcing her to drop her weapon. A gust of wind from Conrad's upturned palm pushed the weapon aside and out of range. "Even before the end of the Sorceress war. Haven't you seen it? The way everyone always looks up to him for a decision?"

Conrad rushed forward, preparing to hit Quistis in the face. Quistis dodged the attack, bringing up her forearm to block another attack, only to have Conrad uppercut her in the stomach instead. "The way all the upper level SeeDs watch him; wanting to know his secret? Wanting to know how he does it? The all-powerful Squall Leonhart; he makes no mistakes, he's obviously better than the rest of us. Everyone thought he was so perfect because he managed to master the heaviest and most difficult weapon ever known to man!"

Conrad threw his leg up, only to be blocked by Quistis again and as she threw a fist of her own, Conrad caught it and threw her to the ground, preparing a heel drop to crush her head, but Quistis rolled out of the way just in time, throwing her leg out to attempt to trip him again. Once again, Conrad dodged with a back flip and threw out another water spell, the former Instructor barely dodging the attack.  
"And it didn't end there; after he graduated, it got a lot worse! He goes on his first mission – he **fails** it like most of us do on our first try, but when he gets back, he suddenly becomes the Commander! Everyone looks up to him all the more, never mind the fact that he **failed** to kill the Sorceress when he had the chance; never mind the fact that while the rest of his team tried to stop the missile launch, Trabia was destroyed. They merely focussed on the positive; the fact that he'd come by and saved the day; prevented Balamb Garden from being destroyed, never minding everything else that he had **failed** at.

"And let's not forget after the Garden war!" Conrad continued, his actions and movements becoming just as agitated and enraged as his tone suggested. He seemingly increased his speed, and it was getting harder for Quistis to block all of his attacks. After upper cutting her in the stomach once again, Conrad threw his fist out and slammed it into her face and she fell back, landing onto her side as she cradled her stomach, wiping away the blood that had seeped from a split lip with her free hand.

"He leaves the population of Garden high and dry, kidnaps his bitch from the infirmary, and sets out to Esthar on his own; never trusting anyone to be able to do the task for him. What fucking arrogance! He believed that no one could do anything unless he was there to do it, but does the rest of Garden feel betrayed? No! When he returns to the Garden after the war, he's welcomed back with open arms! As if he could do no wrong! It was infuriating and humiliating!

"Then he steps down – to everyone's surprise – with some bullshit excuse that he doesn't want to lead everyone around! I thought this was my chance, especially since he recommended me as his replacement, but it just got a whole lot more insulting! Whatever I did, however I did it, it just wasn't good enough for your pathetic Headmaster! It was always 'Squall did it this way' or 'What do you believe Squall would have done in your position'? It soon became clear to me that I would **never** amount to anything more than Squall Leonhart's replacement!

"So when I heard that we were going to be using him in our scheme – to pin a murder on him to make him look guilty, I was exhilarated. For once people were going to see the bastard in a way I had always seen him; a pompous arrogant son of a bitch who doesn't deserve anyone's respect or commendation! And when he died? It was both great and horrible! The bastard deserved to die, but the fact that Garden **still** loved him after that – it was almost enough to take away my satisfaction!

"But none of that will matter when the regime comes back into fruition!" Conrad said as he moved towards Quistis, who was struggling to pull herself up. He kicked her – hard – in the stomach, and forced her back onto the ground, stepping onto her back with his foot. "And you know what? Garden will be next. A military base designed specifically to destroy Sorceress – you didn't honestly think Garden would get off easy, did you? And once all our enemies have been dealt with, you'll wish you'd never been born!"

"Is this why you're doing all of this?" Quistis' voice broke in and Conrad appeared slightly surprised. Her arms bent at the elbow as she struggled to push herself up. Conrad lost his footing slightly, but regained it quickly and pushed harder – trying to keep her down on the ground. "Not because you want to be glorified by the Adelists or because you want the regime to come back?"

She felt Conrad apply more pressure to her back, but she pressed on; no matter how much it hurt, she knew she had to stand up. He pushed harder still, until she was almost certain that she wasn't going to be able to accomplish the feat, but she held onto her anger; her rage; her newfound _hatred_, until she could no longer feel the pain.

"You did all of this, just because you're **jealous **of him!"

She tapped all of her anger towards Conrad and at that moment, she pushed her arms up, forcing him to fall awkwardly onto his side, even as she rose to her knees and then to her feet. She wiped away the blood from her lip once again and assumed a fighter stance. If she chose to go for her whip, he'd simply attack her from behind and she would be damned if she let him get that far.

"I scanned you from my office…" Conrad shouted in outrage as he rose to his own feet. "You shouldn't have been able to do that; you're not junctioned! I'm much more powerful than you are!"

"It's called adrenaline, you asshole!" Quistis shouted back, her hands tightening into fists. She was so angry, she could feel herself trembling. "How dare you talk about him like that; how **dare** you! He was a good person, a great comrade and a good friend. I will **not** simply stand here while you badmouth him the way you have!"

"I'm so scared," Conrad chuckled darkly. "I made one of Leonhart's groupies angry."

"Regardless of who they were in life, you _do not speak ill of the dead_!"

"And what, prey tell, is a washed-up Instructor going to do about it?"

Quistis' fists were so tightly balled together she thought for a fleeting second that her fingers were going to break. The thought flew out of her mind, however, as her gaze settled upon the man she used to look up to as her superior, her rage consuming her even as her words to him left her. "I'm going to bash your fucking face in!"

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The Ragnarok finally touched down onto Estharian soil, and everyone piled out immediately. Irvine had had to remind Selphie to turn off the engine before they headed straight towards the Airstation.

The blast was far bigger than any of them could have imagined; a large chunk of the landing pad was completely destroyed. It looked like the attack had been executed by Estharian aircrafts, but when they saw the familiar red, green and blue uniforms they knew it had to be the Galbadian soldiers.

From that point, they headed straight to the Presidential Residence. The thought that the real terrorists could be using the sudden attack as a distraction in order to take care of some more business was at the front of everyone's mind and no one needed to be told to head to the Residence.

They'd entered the building, but before they could do anything else, Irvine heard someone calling to them and, turning to his left, he saw Kiros approaching them, accompanying him was a woman who couldn't have looked any older than her mid twenties – blonde hair, green eyes, silver-rimmed glasses, and dressed in casual dress.

Before he could comment, however, Selphie shot him a dirty look. "Don't even think about it." She said darkly and it was enough to shut the sharpshooter up.

"I guess you got our call." Kiros said, to which they nodded. "We did some digging on a man named Harold Schipner."

"Wasn't he the Cabinet member who was on the plane that crashed?" Selphie asked, to which Kiros nodded.

"Well, his body was found a short ways away from the crash site, and after some evidence fell into our hands, it was discovered that Schipner was working with the terrorists. I don't know what they're after, but they might want to try and take out Laguna during the confusion that came with the Galbadian invasion."

"We have to warn him quickly." The woman interjected. "It'd be detrimental if the Estharian President was killed during this conflict – the Galbadians would get blamed and the already critical situation would get worse."

"Christine Lockhart." Kiros said in introduction. "She's part of the Cabinet as well."

"Then we have to warn Sir Laguna!" Selphie exclaimed.

"I'll go." Rinoa said. "You guys need to break those soldiers up, and if a Sorceress got involved, it'd make the whole thing worse."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Irvine asked. "Let's get on it."

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_**11:41:48**_

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She threw a punch, her fist landing against his jaw before grabbing him by the head and smashing his face against her knee, throwing him backwards onto the ground. Conrad rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his face and charged forward, aiming to hit her in the throat with his fist, only to be thwarted as she quickly rose a hand to defend herself. He kicked out instinctively, catching her in the leg before freeing his fist, and hitting her off the top of her head with both hands fisted together. He tried to kick her once again, but she dodged the attack before rolling onto all fours and throwing out a spell, the blizzard almost proving to encase him into its cold walls had he not moved. He threw out a spell of his own, another water spell and watched as she slipped on the already slippery surface, falling onto her rear.

Conrad cracked his knuckles as Quistis rose to her feet awkwardly, reaching beside her and grabbing her rante. Instead of using it though, she tucked it along her hip holster. He walked easily along the wet tiled floor and Quistis struggled to regain her breath even as he approached her.

_No good… he's in his element, and I can't seem to catch him with all this water on the floor…_

Suddenly, an idea formed into her mind and she realized what she could do in her defence, though also knowing that it might kill her at the same time. He threw another fist and she ducked, her feet losing traction once again and forcing her to fall onto one knee as Conrad brought his fist down, smashing into the ground beneath him. Quistis took the opportunity to bring her right leg around and smash it against his head before doubling back, landing into a hasty crouch as she struggled to keep her balance.

"It's useless." Conrad said as he moved towards her, the junctions he possessed having impacted most of the damage he'd sustained. The floor where he punched looked like a huge dent, and yet his hand was fine. "You can't win against me, not without junctions. And don't even think of trying to steal mine; I've already got strong holds against it."

Quistis frowned deeply, knowing that she wasn't doing much in the way of defending herself with all the water on the floor. He rushed forward, having no difficulty running through the water and, before he could attack her, she quickly assumed her casting stance, and placed her palms onto the floor, a sheath of ice cooling the water she was positioned near and she _skated_ away from the attack, hearing him curse when his hand connected with the frozen element.

Chuckling to herself, she turned and noticed that Seifer had finally taken out the three burly men Conrad had enlisted to defend him. She didn't know whether he would come to her aid or not, but she didn't care either way – if she fought against Conrad alone, she already had a strategy in line, but if Seifer were to assist her, it would either help or hurt her.

Conrad rose to his feet, ringing out his hand – probably broken by the impact – and glared at the former Instructor. "Bitch," he snarled at her.

Quistis simply shrugged and dared him to attack, of which he did, crouching low before moving into a run. Quistis simply folded her arms across her chest and he stopped suddenly, shock and surprise overshadowing the anger he had held, as she opened her mouth and a hurricane of water flew out. Conrad threw his arms out in front of him as the blast hit him, the torrent of water nearly flooding the entire floor length of the room.

She closed her mouth and fell into a defensive stance, watching as Conrad sputtered slightly from the attack; he was entirely soaked. His hands were clenched at his side, and he was shaking in anger and hatred.

"Blue Mage," he shouted. "I should have recalled what it was you were; the filthy Blue Mage who helped to kill the great Adel. No wonder you're all defensive of Leonhart. I thought the bloody race was extinct by now."

"You thought wrong." Quistis snapped bitterly, thoroughly insulted.

"Well they will be." Conrad said. "I'll be rewarded handsomely for killing off the last of the pathetic breed."

Quistis went to set her plan into motion – folding her arms again, only to have a blast of white light hit her square in the face. She reeled back in surprise and pain, slipping on the ice and falling into the water that had begun to settle behind her after her Water Breath attack. She blinked repeatedly and pulled herself to a sitting position, her clothes sticking to her. Her hair, having long since fallen out of the immaculate bun she had set it in, clung to her face and back in response to having been wet.

As she rose to her feet, Conrad advanced towards her, throwing a fist and knocking her back down, nearly forcing her to hit her head against the door leading into the Commander's office. She caught movement and noticed that Seifer was about to join in the fray. "Seifer! Go outside and help Nida!"

"I don't take orders from you, _Instructor._" Seifer shouted out in defiance.

"Dammit Seifer, just do what I say!" Quistis shouted back. "Call Xu! Get someone up here already!"

She barely had enough time to dodge the punch that had been aimed for her head as Conrad closed the distance between them, not really knowing if her former student had listened to her, but not really caring. She rolled away as Conrad tried to heel drop her again, and pushed herself into a standing position, knowing that he wasn't going to hold still.

She jumped out of the water, standing on solid ground and, as Conrad moved to close the distance, the rante was back in her hand, and snapped out, forcing him back. Before he could get out of range though, Quistis snapped it one last time, the blades at the front snapping around Conrad's arm and the whip wrapping itself tightly against him. "The hell are you doing?" he shouted outraged.

Quistis tucked the rante underneath her arm, and assumed another stance, her eyes burning into Conrad's. "Not exactly what my plan was, but if you plan to kill me, be prepared for the consequences."

"I _will _kill you, you dirty bitch!"

"Then I'll see you in hell with me."

Conrad's expression grew confused and Quistis closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and released a current of electricity, willing it to hit Conrad full force. The man writhed in pain even as the current steadily grew, but the blast travelled along the rante and blasted Quistis off her feet, forcing her to fall backwards, even as the magical energy she'd unleashed disappeared. Conrad fell forward onto the ground even as Quistis struggled to retain consciousness.

She was suddenly pushed up into a sitting position and she noticed Seifer glaring grimly at her. "The hell did you do to him?"

"I told you to find Xu…" she said slowly.

"Since when did I ever listen to you?" Seifer snapped back.

Before Quistis could say anything though, she saw Conrad's body twitch and cursed herself. She'd released the magic when she'd been blown backwards, and it hadn't been enough to take him out.

Pushing Seifer aside, Quistis strode back across the water, her fists balled at either side as Conrad looked up to see her. He coughed out water as she grabbed him by the front of his uniform, hefting him up with some difficulty and glaring at him.

"What are you waiting for?" Conrad asked. "I'm responsible for the deaths of so many people, even if I didn't physically kill them myself. You want revenge from your _precious_ leader, right? Then get it over with."

Quistis' frown intensified and she raised her right hand, a blackish red energy swirling around her fist. She noticed all the colour drain from Conrad's expression as she was about to cast the Death spell, but Seifer stepped between them, an action that surprised her – in the best of times, he would have been the last person to stop her.

"Drop him." Seifer stated.

"Why should I?"

"Because it won't bring Squall back."

"It'll make me feel better; that's for damned sure." Quistis stated evenly.

"He's not worth it." Seifer stated. "You think anyone wants to see you kill this guy for what he's done? He's gotta live with it for the rest of his fucking life – trust me, I know what that's like. It ain't fun."

"Why do you care, exactly?" Quistis asked, turning to glare at him. "Any normal day, you'd be the one cheering me on."

"Maybe I've grown up from the war." Seifer said simply. "Maybe people do change. If Squall could go from a wallflower to a commander, why's it so damned difficult for anyone to see that I can change too?"

Quistis stared at him questioningly before he hefted a sigh. "Besides, Cid wants him alive – we kill him, then there's no evidence that the Adelists are the ones pulling the strings. It'll get them even better than killing this fucker would."

The blonde SeeD redirected her glare towards the traitor before she allowed the magical energy surrounding her fist to fade and threw out her fist, causing it to hit Conrad in the face before dropping him onto the ground in disgust. "Told you so." She muttered before turning her back on him.

At that instant, Nida and Xu emerged into the room, accompanied by a small group of SeeDs. Without missing a beat, Quistis pointed towards Conrad before saying, "Arrest that piece of trash and get him the hell out of my sight."

The SeeDs did exactly as they were told, pulling up Conrad by his feet, though the expression on their faces held confusion as to why they were arresting their commander. Xu looked especially confused, but Quistis shook her head before Xu could give any question. "I'll explain everything."

"Selbst wenn ihr mich gefangen nehmt, wird das Regime weiter an Einfluss gewinnen." Conrad stated, and Quistis, Xu and Seifer all turned to stare at him. "Und wenn wir endlich wider an der Macht sind, werdet Ihr in der Furcht vor unserer Strke zittern wie die Hunde die Ihr seid!"

Quistis and Xu exchanged glances with one another, not at all understanding what Conrad had said in the least, but Seifer stalked towards him, his expression darkening before grabbing Conrad out of the SeeD's surprised grip and pulling him up close to him. "Halt die Fresse, du Wichser, oder ich schwre zu Hyne das ich dir die Zunge rausrei e und sie dir zurck in die Kehle stopfe!"

Seifer then dropped the startled looking Conrad onto the ground for the SeeDs to pick up before turning his back on him. The SeeDs grabbed a hold of Conrad and escorted the former Commander out of the room, probably down towards the Brig for questioning.

"What did you...?" Quistis asked in confusion.

"Old Estharian." Seifer answered simply. "Took it as a remedial course. Just 'cuz it's a dead language doesn't mean there aren't people who won't speak it." Smirking slightly, Seifer shrugged. "Besides; most people can't understand it, so if I'm being interrogated, no one knows what the hell I'm saying."

"It was preparation to becoming a SeeD, wasn't it?" Xu asked suddenly, and Seifer nodded.

"Squall took it too, just to be on the safe side, he said. But now's not the time to reminisce. I heard Connie talking to a supporter, and they plan on taking out the Head of Esthar so they can take over. Don't know about you, but I think we should stop them."

"Proceed with the interrogation." Quistis told Xu, who immediately snapped into a salute. "I'm heading to Esthar."

_**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**_

The door was locked by the time he had arrived, but he simply kicked it a couple of times before it suddenly fell open, revealing the President standing behind his desk due to the intrusion. An Estharian soldier tried to get into his way, but Christopher pushed him down, striding towards the President, knowing he couldn't see his face with the hood up.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time, Loire." Christopher snarled, grabbing a hold of the front of the President's shirt. "You ruined life the way it was in Esthar, and now I'm going to ruin you."

Loire tried to reach under his desk, but Christopher didn't allow him the action, pushing him back against his chair as it slid towards the map of Esthar positioned behind him, and pulled out a hand gun. He removed the safety before aiming it straight at Loire's face. "No one here to save you, no one here to stop us from rising to the top."

"There is one person." Loire stated, and to his utter frustration he didn't hear the tell-tale signs of fear coming from him. He raised an eyebrow, but was too distracted to be able to stop the Estharian Soldier from grabbing a hold of the gun and trying to pry it from his fingers. Christopher struggled, and accidentally set the bullet flying up into the ceiling. Growling in agitation, he pushed the soldier back down, but this time, he aimed the weapon at the prone soldier. "You'll fucking die for that."

To his surprise, the soldier rolled out of the way, just as he fired the shot. Christopher continued to open fire, until his gun ran empty and, when he went to reload it, the soldier simply kicked the weapon to the other side of the room. Christopher punched the soldier in the stomach before pushing him onto the ground once again.

Loire went to intercept the attack, but Christopher pulled out a knife and threw it at the President, the blade barely missing the elder man by inches. "Stay there, or I will kill you."

"Weren't you going to kill me anyway?" Loire asked and Christopher couldn't believe that the idiot had been elected to power.

The soldier pulled out a weapon when Christopher wasn't looking and jabbed it into his leg. Christopher cried out in pain before falling onto his back, the soldier pulling himself up onto his feet as Christopher pulled out the small combat knife. "Smart. But you're still going to die."

"I wouldn't bet on it." The muffled voice of the soldier sounded.

Christopher lunged forward, punching the soldier in the stomach before whipping backwards and hitting the helmet the man wore, noticing that the locking mechanism hadn't been done up properly. He knocked it clean off the soldiers head, but the man dodged the attack that would have sent his own head flying after it. When he landed into a crouch, Christopher stared at him in shock, instantly recognizing the man he was fighting.

"You," Christopher gasped out, his fist clenching tightly around another knife on his hilt. "You're supposed to be in captivity! How the fuck did you escape."

"Like I'd tell you." Squall Leonhart snapped back and both men charged towards each other, Squall lashing out with an upturned palm and pushing the man towards the desk, Christopher flying over the surface. He would have landed on Loire had the President not had the sense to move out of the way.

The SeeD looked as though he were about to say something, but immediately rushed forward, moving the President out of the way and knocking back the cyborg that had been masquerading at the President's niece. She had a hole in her head – probably the SeeD's doing, but she was still fully operational.

"So I see you've been introduced to my little toy." Christopher said mockingly. "It worked so well, don't you agree? No one was the wiser that she was a replacement. But I suppose that since you escaped the brat did as well. And since I know you won't tell me where she is, I'll have to get the location out of your hide."

The SeeD simply kicked up the fallen combat knife and, as it rotated in mid air, he caught it with his left hand by the hilt before falling into a readied fighting stance. Christopher merely laughed. "You can probably take me on, Leonhart, but you can't take both myself and my mechanical friend. Either way, Loire will die."

"Everyone seems to forget," Loire said, reaching into his desk and pulling out a weapon, aiming it at Christopher. "that I was in the Galbadian Military before coming here. Does everyone think that if you become a President it means you're defenceless?"

"Obviously, yes." Leonhart answered.

"Loire, there's no way you're going to shoot me." Christopher said and he removed his hood, noticing in delight the shocked expressions that clouded over both the SeeD and his father's faces. "Would you shoot a man with your son's face? Need I repeat myself, Leonhart? You can't defend Loire from both myself and my toy. Even if he wants to shoot me, he won't shoot the face of his son."

_**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**_

_**The time is now 12am**_

_**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**_


	23. 23rd Hour

_All I can really say in defence of the lateness of this chapter is that Dirge of Cerberus is a fucking addictive game. This chapter - like most others - isn't exactly perfect, but I liked it. Most of the things that take place throughout this and next chapter I've always had invisioned in my head when I thought up the story. Furthermore, I hope you'll ignore some of the inconsistencies (there are quite a bit as a result of past chapters) and enjoy the rest of the story._

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**The Following takes place between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m.**

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The normally silent night was disturbed as magic and fire broke through it; Estharians blasting the area near the Galbadians feet, while the Galbadians focused their fire power on hitting their enemy. More than once did an Estharian soldier fall due to a serious injury, and the Galbadians continued their assault while their enemies surrounded their ally, shielding them from further harm.

Just as yet another soldier was about to befall the same fate, however, the ground began to shake beneath them as rock and rubble began to fly up between the two groups, forcing the soldiers to stop their fire-power and attempt to regain their balance as a wall of what used to be the ground separated the two sides before suddenly stopping at a height of roughly fifteen feet. Surprised and puzzled at the sudden occurrence, neither side was expecting the wall to suddenly dissipate when it did; dissolving back into the ground beneath their feet as though the phenomenon had not even taken place.

They turned towards the direction of a shout to see the guilty culprit – a petit young woman with her arms stretched above her head, a large wooden nunchaku held tightly in her grip. She lowered her arms and turned to look at the warring sides, just as her comrades – a slightly taller man with a vine-tattoo on the left side of his face and a taller man in a trench coat shouldering a riffle – joined her on either side respectively.

The Estharians merely shouted in outrage – still believing SeeD to be their enemies – while the Galbadians looked on in confusion – wondering why their allies were assisting their foes, before the battle ensued once again.

Selphie assumed her casting stance once more as both Irvine and Zell jumped down from their ledge, preparing themselves to stand against the two armies. Blasts of blue and red light engulfed the two as they proceeded down, hoping to stop the war before it could become any worse.

One Galbadian soldier shot at an Estharian soldier, only to blink in surprise as the bullet simply dissolved into nothing when it bounced off the protect spell. Another soldier, enraged that the enemy would side with the Galbadians, aimed a wave of magic towards their long time foe, only to watch as it disintegrated off the barrier of red light. Regardless of the knowledge their attacks no longer did anything, they still attacked one another, even as Zell and Irvine reached the foot of the battle field.

"Nice!" Zell shouted sarcastically as Selphie soon joined their side. "They can't hurt each other, and we can't even stop them ourselves – with magic or anything!"

"It's better than them hurting each other." Selphie remarked with a shrug. "It'll hold them off for a little while at least."

"In the meantime, what're we supposed to do?" Irvine asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Selphie asked. "Break them up no matter what it takes."

She rushed forward in order to break up a skirmish near their location and, after Irvine and Zell exchanged a glance and a shrug, her comrades followed suit.

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Rinoa was the first to emerge from the stairwell, having climbed the set of stairs to get to the top floor. Kiros was behind her, as was a red faced Christine, but no one stopped to take a break – they ran as fast as they could, given Kiros and Christine's slightly winded state, towards the Presidential Office. Rinoa stopped suddenly, sensing the enemy approaching before seeing them and threw out two spells – one Thunder, one Blizzard – each one hitting their target as soon as they came into view. They fell instantly and they moved on, Kiros strapping on his Katals before ushering Christine between the fighters. Rinoa guessed that Christine had no training in the field.

As she rounded another corner, she threw a fire spell in front of her, knocking one of the approaching men into another who was behind. Taking deliberate aim, the pinwheel strapped onto her arm flew forward, but missed the third assailant as he ducked. When it came back around, it caught him off guard – tripping him up as it aimed low and forcing him to fall onto his back.

Casting a hasty sleep spell, Rinoa, Kiros and Christine pressed forward.

"I guess it was a good idea for you to come with us." Kiros remarked as Rinoa continued to lead them down the hallway. She kept her eyes open, just in case any more of their attackers jumped out of hiding, but nodded at his remark anyway.

They finally reached the double doors leading into Laguna's office, only to find that they had been broken into; the doors barely hanging off their hinges as they entered.

Sensing movement ahead of her before she saw it, she threw out another Thunder spell, watching as it hit the person who was attempting to close in on Laguna, and gasped in shock as soon as she recognized the body that now lay on the floor. Ellone was lying in a heap on the ground; not even twitching from the spell, but Laguna simply moved cautiously around them to greet them at the door. Before she could apologize, however, she noticed a small hole in the middle of Ellone's head.

Blinking out of confusion, she couldn't understand how Ellone could have continued moving if she had a hole in her head, and she could hear the surprised gasps as Kiros and Christine entered the room even as Laguna moved closer to them.

"That wasn't Ellone." Laguna explained. "I think that was how the Adelists were getting their information."

"Adelists?" Kiros suddenly burst out. "How do you know that they're Adelists?"

Laguna opened his mouth to answer, but movement from his left alerted him of something and he pulled Rinoa down, Kiros instinctively doing the same to Christine as a body flew overhead and impacted with the wall to their right.

When Rinoa looked to where the object had come from and her jaw dropped upon recognizing the figure. He looked like Squall; his face and hair was exactly the same as the last time she had seen him, but he was dressed like some kind of tourist. He wore a brown muscle shirt underneath a battered grey hooded coat, a pair of grey slacks and black boots.

She didn't know how it was possible, but she was staring right at him, even knowing what had happened in the plane crash. "Squall?" she asked curiously.

Surprisingly enough, Laguna shook his head, an action that confused Rinoa before pointing towards her right. "_That's_ Squall."

When she looked to the right, she had to blink in order to assure herself that what she was seeing was real. There, against the wall, was another Squall, only this one was wearing an Estharian uniform instead of street clothes. He rose to his full height before spitting the blood forming off his lips and onto the floor. He didn't appear the least bit surprised to see them there, or maybe it was simply because he was preoccupied with the other Squall. "Move!"

Everyone did as they were told, and both of them collided, continuing to fight each other off. Kiros scratched the back of his head curiously before finally throwing his arms up into the air. "I give up. What's going on?"

"I'm confused." Christine stated. "There are _two_ Squalls?"

"Basically, that guy," Laguna pointed towards the man dressed in civilian clothing. "Is an Adelist trying to kill me. No doubt he made it so he'd look like that in order to frame Squall. And he," he pointed at the man dressed in the Estharian military uniform. "somehow managed to survive the plane crash, escaped the Adelist's base with the real Ellone who was kidnapped two months ago and being held hostage, got to Galbadia, somehow managed to convince Caraway to stage a fake war as cover so that he could get to me without security arresting him, and warn me that the Adelists were trying to kill me."

"Sounds like a really bad soap opera to me." Kiros said, still appearing confused.

"Well we can't just stand here; we have to help him!" Rinoa shouted, moving towards the fighting pair. She vaguely heard Kiros tell Christine to get security up here, but when she looked back, she saw more of the Adelist loyalists entering the room, baring the woman from her escape. Kiros and Laguna rushed forward, knocking the men off guard and allowing Christine her chance to get to safety.

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_**12:14:26**_

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Selphie frowned thoughtfully. Her plan wasn't exactly working out the way she'd hoped it would. The soldiers were still fighting amongst themselves and Selphie had just restored the protect and shell spells that had protected them from their attacks for so long. She didn't know how much longer they could go on before they either finally saw eye-to-eye or killed each other.

Her comlink beeped and she frowned, wondering who could be calling her at a time like this. Taking the time to cast a hastily drawn Curaga onto one of the Galbadians close by, she picked up the object before answering it. "I'm kinda busy over here!"

"Selphie! It's Quistis."

Selphie blinked in confusion. "Quistis?"

The Trabian raised girl stretched out her hand in order to cure another soldier, but in the process accidentally close-line an Estharian who was attempting to escape enemy fire. "Oops! Sorry!" Selphie stated in shock, before casting protect on the poor man; she must have missed him.

"I need you to bring the Ragnarok back to Balamb and bring both myself and Seifer to Esthar. Laguna's life is in danger; the terrorists are Adelists and they want to kill Laguna!"

Immediately after the announcement, the Estharian soldiers stopped fighting, appearing to be accessing their hidden communicators before one of them started shouting in Estharian. A second later, all of the Estharians were fleeing from the fight, the Galbadians both cheering and charging after them.

"Um, that's okay…" Selphie said uncertainly. "The soldier's have stopped fighting… I think. I'm on my way."

She disconnected the transmission before catching Irvine and Zell before they could run past her. "I have to go back to Balamb and pick up Quisty and Seifer. Go to the Presidential Residence and stop the Adelists from killing Sir Laguna!"

With that, Selphie was off, and she barely heard the resounding 'what's' that came from her comrades.

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He was sitting amongst his colleagues; people who strode for the same goal – to see the fools who dared to challenge Adel fall as their world crumbled around them. But from the reports they'd only just received fifteen minutes ago, no one was very happy to say the least. Learning that both their prisoners had escaped and that the assassination attempt on Trepe had failed tended to do that. Not only that, but their mole within the Garden hadn't contacted them since before the attempt, which could only mean he was dead or apprehended.  
"This definitely does not bode very well," a woman said, and he felt sweat fall along the back of his neck. All of this was his plan, after all. They could simply turn the tables and take him out for his incompetence. "The man we framed is probably in Esthar by now; planning to ruin things even more than he already has. We can only guess if his sister is with him, and the Garden has no doubt backed out of the war we've been orchestrating."

"'Tis a very sad day indeed." A man's voice echoed from beside the woman. "All of our carefully planning for the last four months is going to be for nothing."

"What do you think we should do about this, Fredrick?" a third man asked.

The man, Fredrick, swallowed hard as he realized what they were insinuating, but tried to look stoic despite what he knew was going to happen – he was going to die. But he would at least die so that the regime could live. "I believe it would be prudent for us –" he swallowed hard once again before correcting himself. "for you – to eliminate the one responsible for the muck-up."

"A wise idea." The woman said. "Great minds, do think alike, wouldn't you agree?"

Fredrick closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable shot of a fire-arm and the pain to explode into his chest, but after a moment he realized that nothing had come. He willed his eyes open and noticed in dull shock and awe that no one had made a move to fire a weapon. He was slightly confused though, and could not stop himself from speaking. "Aren't you going to kill me? This was an operation I was responsible for? I failed you; you have every right to take my life in repentance."

"Kill you?" the male voice on the left of the woman's echoed before bursting into laughter. "My dear, Fredrick. You are quite mistake. We don't intend to kill you for this blunder; you are far too valuable to our cause to waste."

Fredrick's mouth gaped open; he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and a great elation lifted his spirits, but they suddenly sank when he heard what the woman beside him had to say. "No, Fredrick. We were not talking about you, but about one Christopher Cobatchi."

"But without him, we wouldn't have had such technological advancements made for this plan." Fredrick burst out. "It was his mind that created the gadgets we frequently use. It was his plan that got us Loire's niece in the first place!"

"But it was also his idea to involve Leonhart." The woman snapped, her voice turning cold. "While the repercussions of his planning have awarded us a conflict between the Galbadians and Estharians, as they are in the middle of an attack as we speak, it was Leonhart's fault the prisoner's escaped and, indirectly, it was Leonhart's fault our mole has been found out; had we not put this operation into action, Greenwood would be reporting in with his findings as we speak."

"But without Leonhart, we couldn't hope to keep the niece in line." Fredrick explained, frantically trying to find some way to save Cobatchi. "She was constantly trying to escape; had we not bothered with this plan, trying to find something to hold over her head—"  
"Then you had best rectify your security issues." The man to her left snapped. "This is not the time for excuses, but the time to rectify a possible problem. If Cobatchi is apprehended, then our plans and operations will have been for absolutely nothing! He knows too much; if the Estharians successfully interrogate him, then he will give all of our names. We will end up in jail and the rightful regime will be swatted aside like a useless fly, do you understand what I am saying?"

Fredrick was too morbidly shocked to answer, so the woman interjected. "This is not a cold and heartless execution, Fredrick, but a liberation. Do you honestly believe Cobatchi would wish to be interrogated by those non-believers? He would wish to die while fighting for what is right!"

Sighing, Fredrick knew they were right; knew what had to be done, but he still didn't want to believe it. He could see Cobatchi's expression if they were allow him to be interrogated; could see the disappointed expression on his face if he gave them all up, and could see the hopelessness that Cobatchi would feel in knowing he had been the cause.

Sighing, he nodded slowly, knowing what had to be done. "Then I believe we have no choice."

"Good." The woman pressed a button in front of her and Erana's image appeared in holographic form. "Set a course for Esthar. It's time to take out the trash."

As Erana saluted and disappeared, all Fredrick could think about was how sorry he was.

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Ibrihim sighed, having just gotten off the phone with the Galbadian General. His men were wondering about his motives for sending them out, only to order them to co-operate with the Estharian forces, but he knew he mustn't divulge anything until after they returned, in case the phones were tapped. He hoped the attack had been enough of a distraction for Squall to have gotten to Laguna before the terrorists – he sincerely did not want a coup to take place in Esthar. The whole reason Galbadia's former enemy in arms had been so quiet for the past seventeen years was because of the man whose life was currently being threatened.

Ellone stood behind his chair; having changed into an oversized hockey shirt with Deling's hockey team logo stamped on the front. She wore a pair of black stockings that reached to her feet, which were covered with a pair of ladies slippers. It had been all they could offer her, and yet Ellone had accepted the clothes graciously – having spent two months in only a thin white nightgown tended to make anything acceptable.

"Do you think they're okay?" she asked, to which Ibrihim sighed.

"To be honest, I haven't a clue." He replied, knowing it was far from the answer she had wanted to hear. "The only thing we can do is wait until we hear back from Squall."

The phone rang and Ibrihim cut himself off from saying anymore, pressing the speaker phone button and allowing the voice of his secretary to fill the room. "Sir, there's a call for you from Balamb Garden."

"Patch them through." Ibrihim ordered, knowing fully well that Ellone was hovering anxiously behind him. He had no idea what they would say when they heard him out, deciding that they would just have to wait and see.

Finally, he heard Quistis' familiar voice fill the room. "Mr. President, this is Quistis Trepe; can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Quistis." Ibrihim said.

"You have to call your soldiers back!" she shouted, sounding desperately. "The terrorists are people who were part of Adel's regime before she was removed from power. They've been behind this whole thing and are planning to kill Laguna. The attack in Esthar will provide the perfect distraction for them to do it."

"I already know that." Ibrihim said. "But I'm curious to know how you acquired the information when I was about to contact you."

"We found the traitor in the Garden." Quistis replied, and the tone of her voice had turned bitter. "It was Commander Conrad Greenwood, or should I say _former_ Commander. He confessed to the whole thing. We're waiting on a ride to Esthar in order to warn Laguna."

"We already have someone heading to Esthar to warn Uncle Laguna!" Ellone said before Ibrihim could, and the President knew there were about to be a flow of questions he would have to answer. He barely even knew half of what was going on, only because Ellone had managed to fill him in on the general idea of the situation.

"Ellone? What are you doing in Deling? You were in Esthar the last time—"

"That wasn't me; that was some kind of copy." Ellone replied simply. "The Adelists have been holding me hostage for the last two months; I was just able to get out of there a few hours ago."

"There's something else you need to know." Ibrihim said, and he knew it would come as a shock to the SeeD. "Roughly around 1700 Esthar time, the plane that was heading towards a secure location somewhere in the Timber region crashed. Someone managed to survive—"

"I already know that. The Chief of Security, James Logans survived, but was in critical condition last I heard." Quistis interrupted, sounding hurt by the fact Ibrihim was dredging it up. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because there was _another_ survivor, Quistis. Squall survived the crash; he was barely even hurt."

Quistis was apparently shocked silent, because she didn't respond, but Ellone took over from where Ibrihim had stopped. "The Adelists used the crash as a cover, making everyone think he'd died just so they'd hold him hostage too. They did it because I kept trying to escape, but because he was apprehended, we were able to actually get away from them."

"Squall is in Esthar as we speak. Hopefully he's spoken to Laguna by now and warned him of the attack."

Quistis still didn't say anything for a moment, but finally she found her voice. "Do you mean that the attack in Esthar—?"

"Was merely a distraction? Yes." Ibrihim answered.

"They may not see eye to eye, but Squall wouldn't let anything happen to Uncle Laguna." Ellone stated, her voice full of confidence. "I'm sure that he's made it by now, and that's he's going to stop the assassination."

"And we'll be on the way as soon as Selphie gets back with the Ragnarok." Quistis stated. "Hopefully _we _won't be too late."

The transmission cut off, and both Ellone and Ibrihim exchanged glances with one another. "What did she mean by 'we'?" Ibrihim asked after a moment had passed.

--------------

_**12:30:02**_

--------------

Squall found himself pinned against the wall, looking into a face similar to his own, and finally realizing exactly how it was he was framed. The only thing missing on the assailant's face was the scar Seifer had marked him with just under half a year prior.

Still gripping the combat knife in his gloved hand, he swung inward, nearly catching the man in the arm. His reflexes were pretty good – he let got at the last second – but he wasn't fast enough to dodge a fist to the face. Moving away from the wall, Squall kept his stance at the ready, watching as the assassin rose to his feet, spitting blood onto the carpet in the same manner he had earlier. "You're the one who kill them." Squall clarified, watching the man's movements closely. He wasn't junctioned, and he had a distinct disadvantage when it came to strength; he'd already found that out the hard way.

"Why sound so surprised?" the man said, grinning sadistically. "I thought it was obvious that _someone_ was going to use your identity to pull something like this. You have far too many links than you are worth – both with the Estharian and Galbadian Presidents. Garden would have especially caved with the knowledge that it was your doing, had I attacked them rather than those pathetic men and women who call themselves patriots. Despite your wish to be otherwise, you are a very reputable young man for your age."

"And you just so happened to cloak my voice properly?" Squall asked, to which the man nodded.

"It took altering a couple of pieces of equipment, but it was all worth it in the end." The man pulled something small out of his left pocket and positioned it along the roof of his mouth before speaking again, his voice altering so that it sounded exactly like Squall's as he moved his hands away from his mouth.. "Nifty little gismo, isn't it?"

Squall clenched his fists tightly, and waited for the man to spring into an attack. Just as he had lunged, however, he was suddenly struck in the side by a thunder spell that had very nearly missed its mark. He rolled onto his uninjured side and both of them looked over to see Rinoa standing in her casting stance. "Stop molesting my knight's voice, you bastard."

The man chuckled sarcastically. "Cute. But if you wish to die with your knight, then be my guest."

He threw a combat knife, but Rinoa dodged it moving to stand beside Squall as he threw another thunder spell at him. Barely managed to dodge, but cringed because of the aftershock. Retrieving another combat knife, Squall moved into a defensive stance, magic forming around Rinoa as she readied a spell. "What are you doing here?" Squall asked her, having not expected backup.

"I could ask you the same question." Rinoa shot back in all seriousness. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Point taken." He conceded, and step in front of the girl as the enemy charged forward, catching his attack with the knife while Rinoa shot a blast of blizzard into the man's face, forcing him backwards once again.

"How _did_ you manage to survive and _not_ tell us you were alive?" Rinoa asked.

"Not entirely my fault." Squall answered and he rushed forward, just as the assailant rose to his feet. He noticed him pull a knife out of his own holster and stopped his charge, moving more to the left as the man swung, intending to take him out. Another blast of thunder shot out and the man cringed in the attack, Squall having jumped back before the blast could hit him.

Rinoa readied another spell, only to be interrupted when one of the man's henchmen charged towards her. She barely managed to dodge the attack before assuming her casting stance once again, a blue aura surrounding her before disappearing slightly. The henchman attacked once again, only to be blocked by the Protect spell. Smiling almost bitter sweetly at him, she grabbed him and, with her junctioned strength – pulled him over her shoulder, flipping him onto his back.

Looking over towards the others, Squall noted Laguna and Kiros keeping the remaining men at bay. Laguna was in the midst of reloading and Kiros lunged forward, barely managing to deflect an attack with his Katals before pushing the enemy back. When Laguna had finished reloading, he turned to his right, shooting at the only remaining man left.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and moved to the right, a slashing pain hitting him in the shoulder as he saw a combat knife graze him. He managed to land in a sloppy crouch and watched as the man he was fighting pulled out another knife. "Pay attention to your own fight; not theirs." He snapped, using Squall's own voice once again."

He heard Laguna curse, and figured the veteran had run out of ammo. Dodging the man's attack, Squall tucked in his knee and jabbed it into the man's exposed diaphragm before throwing a combat knife in the direction he knew Laguna was in. The veteran seemed to sense the attack, because he inclined his head away from the knife and it caught into the attacker's chest. The fact that the man was still standing stated that he was wearing chest armour.

"There's more than one way to fight." Squall retorted.

"Fair enough." He stated with a shrug, and pressed forward, knife in hand. Squall reached down in order to grab another knife, only to realize he was out. Ducking the attack, he was forced to roll out of the way of the man's descending foot, crashing against the side of the President's desk. Cursing mentally, he ducked behind it, barely avoiding another flying knife as it imbedded along the side of the object.  
"Looks like you've run out." The man said hauntingly and, chancing a glance from behind the desk, he saw feet slowly approaching him. A moment later, he retreated as another knife came whizzing at his face. "Too bad. I was beginning to enjoy myself."

Shooting up from behind the desk, Squall shot off a spell, and ducked down, even as the blizzard attack smashed into the enemies face. He listened with some difficulty, wondering what had happened, only to hear the man laugh. "You SeeDs think you're so powerful because you can use magic."

His instincts told him to move and he did just that, watching as the spot he had been in seconds before was struck with lightning.  
"But it just so happens we can do it too." The man laughed.

------------

Christine moved as fast as her legs could carry her, darting down the hallway. She had heard the sounds of a fight breaking out as she darted past the office, and hoped that they could hold on for a little longer.

Something grabbed a hold of her leg and she fell – hard – onto the ground, grazing her elbow on the material of the carpet. Turning around, she saw one of the men the girl – Rinoa she recalled – had taken down with a spell, holding onto her leg, a combat knife raised. Just as she prepared herself for the pain that was sure to follow, someone rushed up from behind her, grabbed a hold of the assailant and, hefting him up to his feet, pushed him against the wall, rendering the man unconscious once more.

Christine rose to her feet, albeit a little unsteadily, and nodded to Ward as he dusted his hands off, three members of security standing with him. "Thanks, I needed that."

Ward nodded back and, though Christine couldn't understand what he was saying, guessed that he was saying 'you're welcome'.  
"We have to hurry though." She continued. "There are Adelists in the building. They've come to assassinate the President."

Ward nodded once again, turned to give an order to Security and they took off, heading back towards the Presidential Residence. Christine just hoped they made it in time.

-----------

"The _hell_ is going on?" Zell shouted as he and Irvine made their way to the Presidential Residence. He thought he had seen lights coming from the top floor – where the Presidential Office was located – and he had a bad feeling they weren't making very good time.

"Looks like the bad guys made it here first." Irvine said. "We'd better hurry."

"No shit." Zell remarked, but Irvine made no move to retort and they headed towards the entrance. Sensing something up above though, Zell stopped and looked skyward, seeing a big ship materializing out of nowhere, as though it had been there in the first place. "Um, Irvine? Let's hurry faster."

Irvine turned to the brawler, saw what he was looking at, and nodded silently, both of them running into the building as fast as they could.

-----------

Squall dodged another fire spell and directed a thunder attack towards the enemy, watching as he dodged the attack as well. Both readied another spell, but a noise caught them both off guard and they looked to the window, watching as a ship materialized out of nowhere. He didn't know where it had come from, only that he had a bad feeling about this.

The man he was fighting, however, started to laugh outright. "It's been fun." He smirked before moving towards the window, turning on his comlink. "Glad you arrived. Let's finish this."

"Sorry Christopher," a voice – a feminine one – sounded. It was faint, but Squall was close enough to hear it. "But _you're_ not finishing anything."

The man – Christopher – frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"

"Christopher?" a man's voice sounded in the background and Christopher's eyes widened slightly.

"Looks like you're allies are abandoning you." Squall commented, and Christopher sent him a glare.

"What the hell is going on?" Christopher snapped.

"Agent Cobatchi, I'm sorry it has to end this way." The man said, but after a moment, the woman's voice replaced his.

"Congratulations; you've just become expendable."

The comlink shut off and Squall watched as the aircraft ascended up into the air, wondering exactly what they were in for.

-----------

"Would you like to do the honours, sir?" Erana asked her superior, knowing that Fredrick was against the attack. She didn't know the exact details, but Fredrick seemed to think of Cobatchi as something of a son, even if he didn't sire him in the first place.  
"No." the man sitting at the controls interjected, just before Fredrick could answer. "I would like the honours."

Erana wisely moved out of the way as the man with grey hair and an eye-patch over one eye walked towards the controller, flipping a couple of switches before a large grey button sprung out of its protective covering. "Power cells?"

"They're ready to go." Erana stated simply.

"Good." He turned back to the controls, a sinister smile twisting his aging features. "For Adel!"

"For Adel!" Almost everyone echoed in the room and Erana noted that Fredrick had not joined in.

The man depressed the switch. "Sorry Christopher, but your sacrifice will _not_ be in vain."

------------

She saw light coming from the window and was barely able to brace herself when the blast hit them, nearly completely annihilating the back of the room, sending the desk and everything else that wasn't nailed down flying from the explosion. Rinoa ducked instinctively, and shouted out to the others, wondering if they were alright but no one answered her. Then, she saw something fall from the ceiling above. She jumped, landing overtop of Laguna and took the impact before her vision failed her and consciousness escaped her.

------------

Christopher's eyes were clenched shut; waiting for the inevitable pain, and the next thing he knew he was sent flying, wondering why the blast had missed him by so much. He felt cool air hitting him and he knew he was falling out of the building. He clenched his eyes shut even tighter, waiting for the impact that was sure to come—

—and something caught his arm and the descent stopped abruptly.

Christopher slowly opened his eyes and all he saw was a rather large drop, rock and debris falling to the ground. Even the smallest bit of rubble would cause major damages should it fall from this height.

Wondering what had grabbed his arm, he looked up, only to see Leonhart gripping a piece of metal with his right hand – one that had been knocked loose from beneath the floorboards by the explosion, his left hand tightly wound around his wrist. Christopher hesitated for a moment, shock nearly taking control, before attempting to wrap his fingers around Leonhart's wrist, only to realize that the angle was bad and he couldn't get a good enough grip.

"Hang on!" Leonhart shouted before attempting to pull them both up.

"What are you doing?" Christopher shouted in confusion. "I'm the enemy! You should let me go!"

"After what you did?" Leonhart shouted back. "You're not getting out of it that easy!"

It was then that the full extent of what had just taken place hit him hard. He had been fighting Leonhart; he had him practically cornered, save for the fact he was fighting back with magic, when the rest of the regime loyalists appeared. They'd said something about him being expendable before the blast took out the side of the Presidential Residence, practically destroying the office. Had the aim been better, he would have been taken out.

Shock did take over this time, and he felt himself tremble with the knowledge that his own people had just tried to kill him. "They—" he struggled dumbly with the truth; for once in his life he was unsure of what to think. "They've betrayed me!"

"Stop shaking!" Leonhart shouted at him. "I can't hold on much longer as it is!"

"The Adelists! They've betrayed me!" Christopher couldn't wrap his mind around it; the people who had taken him in when his family had been destroyed by the Anti-Adelist Faction, had treated him like an extension of family and welcomed him with open arms – they were now shooting at him and treating him like a hostile.

"You can get them back when we get back inside!" Leonhart shouted and he tightened his grip on his wrist.

He didn't know why Leonhart was helping him – couldn't understand why his enemy was keeping him alive. He knew it was because he had murdered those people; that they were going to hit him with their brand of justice, but he knew that most other people in Leonhart's place would have simply let him go already and save themselves. But Leonhart was putting himself into an unprotected position – both hands were busy, he couldn't cast magic or pull himself up with the additional weight.

"It's over…" he said helplessly, and he allowed his wrist to droop slightly.

"Don't you dare give up!" Leonhart shouted, snapping his attention back at him. "We're getting through this! I'm not letting go of you!"

Christopher was about to retort, but as he felt wind moving his hair out of his face, he looked up to see the ship circling back towards them, probably having assessed the damage already.

_It isn't over yet. _Christopher thought to himself. If they were trying to kill him, it was because he had too much information to give away. If he was apprehended, they would surely get it out of him eventually, and the regime would fall to pieces.

Christopher Cobatchi smiled bitterly, attempting to grab onto Leonhart's hand once again. They betrayed him, and now they were going to pay for it.

------------

Erana watched the view she was afforded with in a sense of detached amusement. The side of the Residence that housed the President's office was destroyed, taking out a couple of other offices below as well. From what she could tell, the wreckage was pretty extensive – it'd take a miracle for anyone directly in the blast's path to have survived.

Just as she was finished circling around, she saw it – movement along the side of the Residence, near the epicentre of the blast. Grabbing a pair of binoculars, she pulled them onto her face and zoomed in, nearly dropping them in her shock. Two figures, both with identical features were hanging off the side of the Residence, having managed to avoid destruction. One was in Estharian garb, while the other was dressed casually, like a civilian.

A frown tugged at her features and she threw the binoculars away in disgust. Cobatchi and Leonhart managed to survive. She didn't know about Cobatchi, but Leonhart seemed to possess more lives than a fucking Torama. She checked the cells for the laser cannon, only to find that it had been all but depleted. It barely held enough of a charge to fire, and it wouldn't hit them at the range they were.

Her frown suddenly turned into a tight grin. She would be able to get her hands dirty after all. She signalled for the aircraft to go higher, and kept her balance as the pilot obeyed her orders. Once they'd stopped moving, she slowly walked towards the very edge of the plane, savouring in the act she was about to do. Closing her eyes, she siphoned the magic she had drawn out of her, allowing it to dance in her fingertips before shooting upwards and manipulating the blast to streak down – towards her targets.

_This time, Leonhart, _she thought to herself. _When the world believes you to be dead, it will be true._

------------

Squall looked up to see the ship ascending above, and frowned, wondering what it was they were planning to do. His grip on Cobatchi was slack as it was, and he continued to tighten it while maintaining his hold on the metal plate. It had been a stroke of luck that he'd seen it at the last second – they would have fallen to their deaths if he hadn't.

"They're coming back!" Cobatchi shouted, and Squall nodded, knowing the man couldn't see him from his angle. There was no doubt that they had been spotted and, if they couldn't take out the President, then they'd take out a possible threat. Squall just came into the equation as an added bonus.

Then he saw it – light shooting up into the sky. At first he thought it was a junction – but as the light shot back down, he recognized it for what it was – the highest level Thundaga spell he had ever seen cast before. Quickly noting the trajectory, he realized with a start that it wasn't aimed for Cobatchi to finish him off.

He wondered about it for barely half a second when his gaze suddenly shot up to the metal plate he was holding.

Before he could do anything about it though, the Thundaga spell hit the plate with full force, sending electrical currents running through Squall's body, despite the gloves he was wearing. Squeezing his eyes tight against the onslaught of pain, his mouth opened subconsciously into a silent scream and he couldn't hear anything around him, save for the bolts of electricity running through his body like an outlet. He writhed in pain before finally the Thundaga spell had run its course and he was left dangling dully from the building, his mind reeling as he tried to think straight. His surroundings spun dizzyingly and he tried to close his eyes to the sensation, but the action only made things worse.

His hand was slipping – the metal passing his palm as his fingers latched on for support, but he didn't think he could hold on much longer – his grip was slipping further, and his body was going numb. He recognized the symptoms almost immediately – his body was going into shock.

Just as he though he was going to fall however, something grabbed a hold of his arm at the exact same time he finally released the plate, leaving him hanging slightly. He blinked tiredly and looked up to see Laguna struggling to pull him back into the Residence. Kiros soon joined his side and the both of them managed to pull him over the broken railing and back into the Residence, the after affect of the Thundaga spell being shot into the air causing a torrent of rain to cascade down onto the ground.

"Are you okay?" he heard Laguna said, but he didn't respond; didn't know if he had the energy left _to _respond.

"Dammit, where the hell is Security?" he heard Kiros shout, but before Laguna could respond, he heard footsteps entering the room and, as Kiros helped him into a sitting position, he noticed that Security had finally managed to arrive. The men dressed in black surveyed the room as Ward and the psychiatrist he had met earlier entered the room. Ward immediately went towards a plate of fallen plaster and pulled out—

—He pulled himself out of his shocked state to see Rinoa pulled from underneath the plaster. She was unconscious, probably having had the plaster fall on top of her, but he could tell she was still breathing – for some reason he just knew.

One member of security turned to face them, and upon realizing something, drew his weapon, the others following suit. Squall knew they were aiming at him – he was still a wanted criminal and the fact that he was still alive when the plane had crashed didn't bode well for his situation.

"You are to come with us immediately." One of the men in black said.

Squall moved to attempt to stand, but Kiros held him back at the exact same time that Laguna moved to stand in his way. "Put you're weapons away." He heard Laguna say.

"But sir, he—"

"Was framed." Laguna finished for them. "The real perpetrator was an Adelist – he set Squall up as a distraction, so that they could attack Trabia and blame it on us. They wanted a war to break out between Galbadia, the Gardens and Esthar, and they wanted us to fall apart just so they could pick up the pieces."

"Sir, with all due respect," the one closest to them started, but Laguna interrupted.

"No, you listen to me. No one goes anywhere near my son unless I give you permission, am I making myself perfectly clear?"

Squall saw the man respond, but didn't hear it, suddenly feeling a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was suddenly weak – way too weak to be able to sit up and he fell back against Kiros as the room dimmed around him and he knew no more.

----------------------------

_**The time is now 1 am**_

----------------------------


	24. 24th Hour

------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The Following takes place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.**

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ragnarok finally touched down onto Balambi soil and neither Seifer nor Quistis wasted any time climbing aboard. Within minutes, Selphie had the airship up into the air and heading back towards Esthar.

"ETA is thirty minutes." Selphie said. "It's the best I can do."

"It's better than nothing." Quistis stated, her hair pulled back into a pony-tail. She hadn't had the time to put it back into the immaculate bun it had been in, but had taken the opportunity to rest after her fight with Conrad.

Seifer nodded in agreement, apparently not really wanting to argue, and Quistis couldn't blame him; after hearing what they had. "I contacted President Caraway and found out that the Galbadian Invasion was a distraction in order for one of their people to warn Laguna about the assassination."

"Really? It looked pretty real to me." Selphie stated.

"That was the whole point," Seifer muttered, but both girls ignored him.

"Do you know if whoever it was made it in time?" Selphie asked.

Quistis shook her head. "We won't know anything until after we arrive in Esthar."

Before Quistis could continue, however, the familiar beeping red light indicated that they were receiving a transmission. Selphie activated it almost instantly while Quistis wondered who would be trying to contact them. "Ragnarok here."

"I was wondering where you got off to." Kiros' familiar voice filled the cockpit. "You don't have to worry; the fighting is finished and the assassination was foiled."

"Whoo-Hoo! Sir Laguna's safe!" Selphie whooped, taking both hands off the piloting devices, at which point Seifer and Quistis both shared a panicked look before she replaced them. "What happened?"

"We got some help from a very unlikely source." Kiros said, sounding confused. "But nevertheless, there were no casualties suffered."

"He actually did it…" Seifer muttered in mild amazement, as Selphie directed her next question to Kiros.

"So who was sent from Galbadia? Quisty and Seify (Seifer shot his head up upon hearing the nickname) told me all about it."

There was a slight pause before Kiros answered. "You're not going to believe this, but it was Squall. He survived the crash in the Trabian region and managed to get here in time to stop the Adelists. I'll fill you in when you get here; I'm not at all positive I have all the details."

----------

All she could see was white before her eyes adjusted to the brilliant light that shone brightly overhead, and it was then that she realized she was in the infirmary. She sat up before grabbing at her head, wincing slightly but stubbornly refusing to fall back against the pillow. It was the first time she'd suffered a concussion in her life and it probably wouldn't be the last.

At first, she thought everything that had happened within the last few hours had been a horrible dream, and her heart sank when she thought about it, but upon seeing Laguna sitting nearby, she perked up slightly. It wasn't worth it to make everyone else around her miserable. "How long have I been out?"

"Not too long, actually." Laguna answered, putting away the book he had been reading. "Less than an hour really, though I think I owe you one. If the plaster hadn't hit you, it probably would've killed me."

Rinoa blinked twice before reaching over and pinching herself, hearing the slight protestant sound coming from the President when she did. She felt a sting of pain, but she was still lying on the bed in the infirmary and Laguna was still there with her, although he was staring at her strangely now.

"It wasn't a dream." She whispered and realization crossed Laguna's features as he realized what it was she had been doing. "It wasn't a dream!" she said louder, as though saying the words aloud would convince her of its meaning. She turned a large grin towards Laguna in excited glee. "He's alive! He's actually alive."

"That he is." Laguna nodded, knowing exactly who it was she was talking about. She suddenly stopped her excited rant before looking around the room in dismay. "Where is he? Where's Squall?"

A bad feeling was beginning to nest itself into the pit of her stomach, but she kept it at bay by telling herself that Laguna had agreed with her; that Squall was still alive, but it didn't make her feel any less anxious. If he wasn't in here waiting for her to wake up, then that had to mean that he'd gotten hurt during the fight. "What happened?" she asked.

"The Adelists fired on the Residence and practically destroyed my office." Laguna said after a moment of awkward silence. "When I looked up, you had already taken a hit to the head and were knocked unconscious. But when I looked back to where my desk had been the terrorist and Squall were nowhere to be found. Then I heard a yell and when I moved closer to investigate, I saw Squall hanging onto a metal plate, but he looked out of it. Me and Kiros managed to pull him back up, but after the cavalry finally showed up, he went into shock. They said he was electrocuted before the storm started."

"So I can go see him, right?" Rinoa asked, but took notice that a doctor had just walked in. "Don't tell me I can't go see Squall."

"You suffered a mild concussion," the doctor started, seemingly ignoring the young Sorceress. "but other than that, you don't appear to have any other injuries, so I don't see why you can't wander around as long as you're careful."

"But can I see Squall?"

"I'm sorry but it's not quite possible at this time." The doctor said. "At the moment he's stable and resting, but we need to keep him that way. Two of your friends are demanding the same thing, but I can't allow them to excite the patient."

_That wouldn't be a problem._ Rinoa thought mentally. "He doesn't exactly excite very easy."

The doctor sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't be a problem when he wakes up, but for the meantime, I want him to rest. Am I understood?"

Rinoa nodded furiously before Laguna interjected. "You weren't planning on keeping _me_ away from _my_ son, were you?"

The tone was deliberate; Rinoa would have paid money to watch the doctors try to keep their president out of the same room as Squall at this point, but unfortunately for her, the doctor simply blanched. "No, of course not sir."

"I didn't think so." Laguna said with a knowing smile.

------------

_**1:19:47**_

------------

Immediately after the attack on the Presidential Residence, reporters and the like had immediately gotten out of their offices or beds in order to get down to the Residence and be the first to uncover the story. Upon their arrival, the Director of the Estharian Cabinet had told them that a press conference was to be held soon in order to answer any questions the reporters might have.

Christine sighed, knowing that she had been voluntold for the process. Since she was technically there and knew the most about the situation, she had been elected to explain the situation as simply as she could.

_But there's nothing simple about any of this…_

She now stood at a podium, staring at the faces of the reporters seated before her, waiting for her to explain the situation before they began their questions. The psychiatrist cleared her throat before starting, deciding that it would be better to get this over with. "Nearly twenty-four hours ago, a man was seen entering the Presidential Residence, and soon afterwards, five people were brutally murdered before the perpetrator managed to escape. The following events were strategically formed in order for the party that this man followed to attempt to overthrow President Loire and take over our government. Fortunately we were able to stop the threat before these plans could be set completely into motion."

The reporters immediately sprung alive, asking questions at the exact same time which resulted in the words being garbled. Christine simply pointed towards one of the reporters on the far left, and the noise level quieted, allowing her to hear him out. "Rumour has it that these terrorists were neo-Adelists. Does the Government confirm or deny these allegations?"

"Unfortunately, I have to say that the Adelists were the terrorist group involved in the attack." Christine answered, already having been ready for the question. "They had been planning the attack for the last four months in order to overthrow the government and replace it with their own."

More people sprung to life until Christine pointed at a female reporter, who was seated in the center left of the audience. "Is there a possibility that there was a mole in the government who was working for the Adelists?"

"Harold Schipner, a member of the Estharian Cabinet, was believed to be in league with the Adelists." Christine answered. "He helped to orchestrate the attack on the Prisons as well as the plane crash to the north in the Trabian Region. We are looking into his background to find his accomplices and to see that they are brought to justice. As of now, Harold Schipner is deceased; his body was found just thirty meters from the crash site."

More people began to shout and Christine pointed at another reporter, who rose to his feet and called attention to himself. "What about the man who was accused of the crime? What does the Government plan to do about Squall Leonhart? What was his involvement in this?"

The question Christine had both anticipated and antagonized over since she was put in this position had finally arisen, but she found that this question was the easiest to answer. "The Adelists used one of their own in order to frame Leonhart for the crime. He was on a classified mission in Deling City at the time, and therefore could not have committed the act. He is to be cleared of all charges against him and our deepest apologies go out to him as well as his team-mates for everything this government has put SeeD through.

"As for his involvement, the Adelists needed a scapegoat to take our focus away from their activities, as well as to try and instigate a war between Esthar, Galbadia and the Gardens. Needless to say, their plan almost worked, but if it hadn't been for some quick thinking on SeeD's behalf, we most likely would be arming our men and women for war. It seems that the World Confederation plans need to be looked through and re-iterated before the project can be set into motion once again."

------------

The Ragnarok had touched down into what was left of the Airship and Seifer, Quistis and Selphie left for the Presidential Residence. No one said a word; being too busy taking in the destruction that had taken place.

Upon reaching the Residence, the first place they went to was the infirmary, since most likely people had been hurt during the attack. They saw Irvine, Rinoa and Zell standing outside of the infirmary; Irvine propped up against the wall on his left side while Rinoa leaned against it. Zell was busy pacing up and down the hallway, but that stopped upon seeing them heading towards them. "Took you long enough," Zell joked.

"Stow it, Chickenwuss." Seifer said and Zell's smile immediately fell from his features, his fists clenched at either side. Quistis simply sent them both a reprimanding glare; now was certainly not the time nor the place.

"What happened with the speech?" Irvine asked curiously.

"It didn't happen." Quistis said, shaking her head. "Nevertheless, Garden is not planning on going to war anytime soon."

"Ol' Connie turned out to be nothing but a traitor." Seifer said and he pulled something out of his jean pockets. It was a pen, but on top of it appeared to be some kind of micro chip.

When he noticed everyone staring at him, Seifer simply continued. "I picked up some equipment before traveling all the way to Balamb. When Connie made his confession to the Instructor," Quistis glowered at him. "this little thing picked it all up. It implicates him in Puberty Boy's framing, the actual crime itself and conspiracy against the Estharian Government. He ain't gonna be seeing any fresh air for a very long time."

"Garden will see to that." Quistis said. "He's being held in the brig as we speak, interrogated for answers."

"Connie tried to put up some defences, stop my searching, but my intellect was too good for that." Seifer said, smirking as he did. "I suspected him from the beginning. Just didn't have any proof to point any fingers. If it wasn't for Cid, he'd have been cut into ribbons by the time you'd all figured out I was even there."

"The ego." Quistis said, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up into the air. "Seifer's worst enemy."

Seifer glared at Quistis as the others started to laugh. "Last time I save your ass, _Instructor…_"

"And who was it that kicked the tar out of the former Commander?" Quistis retorted. "Certainly, it wasn't you."

"Awe…" Selphie said, frowning slightly. "Quisty and Rinny got to kick some ass. Zell and Irvy got their hands dirty and all I did was pilot a ship."

"You got some action too, Selphie." Zell said. "The soldiers didn't know what hit them when you cast your Wall spell on them."

"Or rather, what _didn't_ hit 'em." Irvine added.

-----------

He heard people talking out in the hallway and willed himself to wake up, even if his body protested painfully against the action. Slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to forcefully blink the stars from his vision as he attempted to pull himself into a sitting position. His body still felt numb and he was having a difficult time trying to piece together what had happened after being electrocuted.

Someone was standing next to him – a doctor from the looks of it – and the man made a startled sound before pushing him back down against the bed. Apparently, he was surprised that he was trying to get back up.

A small light shone in his left eye before moving to his right eye and his head protested the bright light, but it was removed quickly. His eye-lids threatened to close over his vision, but he willed them to stay open – he wanted to know what was happening.

"Now say your name for me." The doctor instructed, and Squall rolled his eyes, despite how much it hurt. It seemed to him as though all doctors went through the same tedious examination.

"Squall Leonhart." He answered and the doctor nodded. Squall hadn't known what kind of reaction to expect; everyone in Esthar had been made aware that he had died.

"You're long term memory seems in order." The doctor said before writing something down on his clipboard. "Though you are awake far earlier than I had originally thought you'd be. I believe it'd be prudent for you to remain here and rest up a bit before moving around."

"What happened?" Squall interjected and the doctor sighed.

"I think it might also be better if we waited a little while before divulging the specifics of what took place after you went into shock."

"I'm fine." Squall snapped. "Tell me what happened."

The doctor sighed before flipping through his chart. "You received an extremely high level of voltage that passed through your body – possibly from a magic spell of the same element. Your body couldn't sustain that level of trauma and thus you went into shock. We've been checking up on you for nearly an hour to make sure your vitals and organs are still in proper working order."

"And Cobatchi?" Squall asked after taking a moment to digest the information.

The doctor stared at him curiously and Squall resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. "The terrorist. The one who attempted to kill your President. Is he in good enough condition to be interrogated?"

The middle aged man's expression shifted from confusion to recognition before he spoke. "So Cobatchi was his name, hmm? We'll have to document that."

"What do you mean by 'was'?" Squall asked, a sinking feeling beginning to settle in the pit of his stomach.

"Search teams looked all over for him, and sure enough they found him. He was dead when they did, however. It looked as though he had fallen from a great height. From the looks of things, the landing killed him. The coroner had a difficult time keeping what remained of the body intact, but then again that sort of thing tends to happen when one falls so many feet to their death – a sort of splatter effect if you will."

Squall unconsciously clenched his fists around the fabric of the sheets lying overtop of him. A bitter taste filled the back of his throat and he swallowed in order to try and get rid of it, except it wouldn't go away. The sinking feeling hit rock bottom, making him feel sick, though he knew it wasn't from being electrocuted.

For the first time in his life, he had killed someone, and it had nothing to do with the mission.

He was dully aware that the doctor had moved to the door, but whether he left or not no longer concerned him. He had taken lives before, but the lives he had taken were merely in self defence – the enemy was attacking and if he hadn't struck fast enough he would have been the one dead. It was out of self-preservation. But this time, both of them had been hanging in the balance, but he had survived while Cobatchi had died, having fallen to his death.

_I must have let go either during or after I was electrocuted…_ his mind suggested logically, but it didn't stop the feeling of disgust from spreading. He willed himself not to shake out of revulsion and he had no idea whether it was working or not, just that it didn't feel right.

When he had been on the field exam, he'd had to take lives and it had been a living experience; one he hadn't thought he'd have to go through again. But it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now; back then he was merely defending himself and trying to accomplish his portion of the mission. Whether or not Cobatchi was an innocent man held no significance; but the fact that he had killed him when it hadn't been out of necessity made him want to vomit.

The bitter taste in the back of his throat strengthened and he swallowed it back, forcing it back down again

_So_ _now I really _am _a murderer. _He thought to himself bitterly. He realized that things weren't just going to go back to the way they were before this whole incident happened. Something in him had changed, and he was going to have to live with what he had done for the rest of his life.

He looked up when he heard footfalls and tried to compose himself slightly. The last thing he needed was to be nagged by the physician about waiting for such shocking news. However, he was slightly surprised to see the others walking into the room, all of them wearing relieved expression, either because he was awake or because he was still alive.

"Are you really okay?" Selphie asked suddenly. "The doctor said you were electrocuted."

"Squall's got more lives than a Chimera." Zell laughed. "'Course he's okay."

"Tell that to the doctor." Squall shrugged. "He wants to keep me here for a little while."

"Don't worry Squall." Irvine said jovially. "If you try to get out, we'll strap ya to the bed."

"Gee thanks a lot Irvine, I really appreciate it." His retort trailed off as his eye caught a face he hadn't actually expected to see. Propped up against the wall at the far back of the room stood Seifer Almasy, still wearing his muscle shirt with the cross, but with a pair of black jeans, his black foots and missing the trench coat. The former knight leaned against the wall with his arms folded, as if waiting for the younger boy to catch sight of him.

Quistis seemed to catch what it was he was looking at though. "Don't worry. He's not going to blow anything up. He actually helped out a lot in the Gard—"

Her explanation was cut off however, as Squall pulled the blankets off himself and pulled himself out of the bed, despite the protests of the people around him and the pain that shot up from his legs. It wasn't a comfortable journey to where his rival was standing – the numb feeling making it difficult to walk properly, but he made it. Zell and Irvine were exchanging glances while Selphie, Quistis and Rinoa simply watched in shock, worried expressions showing on their faces. Seifer merely rose an eyebrow in his direction when Squall stopped roughly three feet in front of the elder boy.

"You gotta be way more careful, Puberty boy." Seifer started, speaking for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Otherwise, who else am I going to beat up on?"

Squall simply stared at the taller boy and the others relaxed around him, probably relieved that neither one was going to try anything. Their surprise resurfaced though, when Squall balled a fist and threw it – hard – into Seifer's stomach, the elder boy coughing in shock before falling onto his knees and coughing, trying to catch his breath – Squall figured he'd caught him in the diaphragm. Zell and Irvine – who were both rooted to the spot – stared at him incredulously, even as Squall rung out his left hand. After a moment, he extended the same hand towards his rival, who stared at it as though it were contaminated.

"That was for the things you did in the war." Squall said simply.

After a moment of consideration, Seifer slapped his own hand onto Squall's and, with as much effort he could muster, Squall helped Seifer onto his feet, only to have both of them collapse against the bed as the strength behind the effort forced Squall off balance. Selphie, Irvine and Zell burst into laughter while Rinoa rushed to help Squall back into the bed, leaving Seifer to fend for himself as Quistis stood at the front of the room, her arms folded across her chest as she shook her head. "Teenagers…" she muttered, never minding the fact that she was still one herself.

When Squall was finally settled back into the bed, and Seifer had managed to pull himself back up, Squall looked to each and every one of them before saying, "So… anything interesting happen while I was dead?"

------------

_**1:45:30**_

------------

When he woke up, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, everything below his waste hurting horribly. Turning to look at his right hand side, he recognized an IV line attached to the back of his hand, sending nutrients into his body. He'd never liked hospitals all that much, especially not when he was a kid.

He pulled himself into an awkward sitting position, wincing slightly as his legs began to hurt even more. Reaching over to his hand, he went to rip the IV tag out when a slender hand stopped him. He looked up into the smiling face of Christine, who was holding a coffee in her hand.

"Aw, you shouldn't have." He said, his voice sounding incredibly hoarse.

"It's not for you, silly." She said, slapping his hand as he reached up for the caffeinated beverage. "The doctor says you have to stay away from this stuff while you recover."

"Doctors don't know what they're talking about." James said as he rubbed the spot where she'd slapped him. "They haven't seen me in the mornings."

"Doesn't change anything." Christine said, sighing as she sat down in a chair next to the bed. "I just got away from the hungry hounds – I mean reporters. I really hate press conferences."

"Is that the only reason you hurried here?"

"Nope. I wanted to see you, of course."

"So does that mean you missed me?"

Christine looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "And if I said I came for the casual sex?"

"Don't know if the doctor'd condone that one…" James said cheekily.

Christine shrugged. "It's a good thing I didn't say it then."

"Hey, I didn't say I wouldn't." James pointed out.

The blonde woman let out a laugh. "Even still, we have to take it easy. You were nearly crushed by the exterior of that plane when it exploded."

"So that's what hit me from behind." James said thoughtfully, all traces of humour leaving his features. "Any other survivors?"

"According to our findings, the only one who actually died in the crash was the pilot." Christine explained. "Schipner was found thirty meters away, shot at point-blank range in the head." She shrugged haphazardly.

"Good." James concurred, before he frowned slightly. "What about—?"

"He's alive." Christine said, seemingly reading his mind. "The Adelists – that's who Schipner was working for – wanted him alive, so when Schipner got away from the plane, he dragged Leonhart with him. My guess is that he was shot and then the rest of his crew took Leonhart to their hideout. If he hadn't broken out though, President Loire would have been killed and the Adelists would have been in control."

"Sounds like you had fun." James said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, oodles. Definitely beats sitting next to the radio reading a good mystery." Christine said, joining in on the sarcasm. "But I've got news for you – we were both wrong."

James blinked. "About what?"

"About Leonhart." Christine explained. "You thought he was a cold-hearted murderer. I thought he was in need of mental help. Turns out he didn't murder those people after all; a man who made himself look like Leonhart committed the crime in order to make it look like he was responsible."

"Surprisingly confusing…" James said before looking up at the ceiling. "Though I had my doubts that he was a murdered the whole time. He did save the world, you know."

"You were fooled and you know it." Christine said, slapping his arm lightly.

"Until just before the plane crashed and he threw me out of the plane. I realized that he wasn't responsible then."

"But the point is you believed him to be guilty before then." Christine pointed out. "All in all, it doesn't count."

Something suddenly caught up with James and he stared at Christine in confusion. "How did you know that Schipner was a traitor?"

"I wondered how much longer I was going to have to wait before you asked me that." Christine said and she pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her breast pocket, handing them over to the Chief of Security. "These actually came in handy. It's a good thing you chose to start recording when you did."

James examined the glasses, having already recognized them as his own before simply putting them on over his eyes, Christine snorting in laughter when he did. "So _that's_ where they were…" he muttered.

"You can thank Kiros." Christine suggested. "If he hadn't thought of them, we wouldn't have realized that Schipner was a traitor."

"I'll send him a card." James said as he pulled Christine into a passionate embrace.

"After everything you've put me through today, you so owe me a vacation." Christine said and James simply laughed.

------------

A few minutes after they'd entered the room, the doctor had shooed them all out, claiming that the patient needed his rest. Squall had looked equally surprised by the intrusion, but they had left willingly, knowing that it was true; Squall did seem really tired, and who could blame him?

Rinoa could still feel the concussion from the back of her skull, but she was doing well enough to ignore it. Her junctions helped her out a lot in the feat, though she knew the doctor was going to track her down very soon and order her back to bed in order to rest. She wondered if she could proposition the doctor to let her share a room with Squall, but figured she'd be pressing her luck if she did.

They'd barely managed to tell him everything that had happened in the Garden; Conrad's treachery, the nearly successful assassination attempt on Quistis' life, and the fact that Garden had very nearly gone to war against Esthar. Squall hadn't been impressed when he'd discovered that Conrad had been an Adelist all along, and she could tell he felt guilty for putting him in a position of power, but Quistis had assured him that Conrad had gotten exactly what had been long overdue in coming.

They'd all returned to the cafeteria, having been welcomed back as soon as the press conference had ended. The Estharians no longer thought they had infiltrated their Missile Base and the Gardens also knew that it had not been Esthar's fault Trabia Garden had been destroyed. Search teams were still looking for survivors, but it didn't look like there were any this time around. The Garden itself had been completely destroyed – damaged beyond repair.

"You're sure about this?" Irvine asked, to which Selphie nodded. She had just announced her decision to return to Trabia in order to help with the search and rescue mission.

"It was my home for twelve years, after all." Selphie said. "If no one survived the attack, I have to see for myself. I would never be able to forgive myself if I just went back to Balamb and no one was found."

"I can understand that." Quistis said. "I would help too, but being the Student Chancellor I have my hands full. Not to mention the Garden is in need of a new Leader. Cid can't come back, not after his breach in security, and Conrad has been arrested, so SeeD is pretty leaderless at the moment."

"There's definitely that." Irvine nodded. "You guys better start looking soon; otherwise the Adelists are gonna take advantage of that. They're still out there, right?"

"The Estharian forces couldn't find anything remotely close to the ship." Rinoa said. "Not even after Kiros and Laguna described it. Chances are, the ones in the ship fled the battle afterwards. Who knows where they'd be hiding next."

"Squall did say something about a base in Galbadia." Quistis said. "We could try that next."

"Too bad I can't come along and help you guys hunt Adelists." Selphie said with a shrug. "But once I'm done in Trabia, you can definitely count on my help."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but we not only owe Squall, but we owe Seifer a lot for today as well." Quistis said with a shrug. "He came back to Garden, despite knowing he wouldn't be welcome, and helped us find the mole in our Garden. I doubt the Adelists have any more lurking around in Garden anymore, so that limits the amount of information they're going to be receiving from now on."

"Looks like it ain't exactly over yet." Irvine sighed.

"No," Rinoa said forlorn. "It looks like things have only just begun."

"Hey guys?" Zell said, breaking up the conversation at last. "Where exactly _is_ Seifer?"

Everyone exchanged glances amongst one another and scanned the cafeteria with their eyes, only to discover that the brawler was right; the former SeeD cadet was nowhere to be found.

------------

If there was something about the Sorceress War he wouldn't change, it'd be the amount of money he'd received for his trouble. The Sorceress hadn't had any need for Gil, so she'd given it all to her Second-in-Command at the time, and because of it, he sat on a nice little nest egg that would be able to support him for as long as he'd need it. The price had been spilt blood of course, but he wasn't about to turn down something just because of how he'd acquired it, no matter how much the reminder sickened him.

Thinking back, Seifer figured he could use the small reminder; it'd keep him from going insane again.

Having reached the Airstation and finding it in ruins, he'd quickly headed towards one of the airline workers, handed him a wad of cash and bought a small jet for himself, leaving the poor bastard stuttering in confusion. There was no way he was risking being seen by train; not this time at least.

Seifer was a very intelligent individual and, after studying the controls on the plane for a few minutes, he'd immediately figured out how to pilot it. Of course it'd take some practice for him to get it right, but he had a long while to figure it out. Now-a-days, time was all he had.

Before he did anything else though, he'd ripped open the dashboard in the cockpit and disabled the tracking beacon before ripping it out and tossing it out the window. Despite popular believe, he rather liked his self-induced seclusion and he wasn't about to give it up just because he'd paid his outstanding debt to Cid. The world was only just beginning to recover from the Sorceress War and, despite the good he had managed to do that day, he knew the world wasn't quite ready for his reappearance. He didn't really know if it ever would be.

Making sure that systems were still operational, he strapped himself into the pilot seat and activated the engines before putting the plane into action. It moved slowly at first before it began to pick up momentum and finally it was up into the air, the city of Esthar quickly becoming a small speck in the air behind him.

Seifer sighed to himself before pulling out his cell phone, which had been tucked safely inside of his back pocket the entire time. He flipped the top open before dialling a number he had memorized before waiting for someone to pick up. Finally someone did. "Hey Fu, Rai. Just calling to let you know I'm heading home. See you soon."

He hung up without waiting for a response and continued to his destination and, for once since the end of the War, he didn't look back.

-----------

He took a deep breath, knowing that the person on the opposite side of the door probably wouldn't want to see him, but also knowing that he'd want to hear what he had to say. Still, it didn't mean he wasn't prepared for the worst.

It was that determination that forced Laguna to step into the infirmary. He looked for the doctor he knew was taking care of the patient he was looking for and, after finding out which room he was staying in, made his way towards it, wondering whether he was making a mistake or not.

He stood in front of the door for another full minute before hesitantly knocking on it. _He's always liked his privacy, right?_ He thought to himself, second guessing each and every little thing Ellone had told him about his own son. What Laguna wouldn't have given to take back the last seventeen years and to set things to rights.

"It's open." Came a reply and Laguna was momentarily taken unawares. Stepping closer towards the door, the sensors automatically picked up movement and slid open for him, the sudden sound of the door opening catching the SeeD's attention and casting his glance upwards. After a moment he looked back down, the expression on his face saying it all; he hadn't been expecting him to come.

"Oh, hi." Squall said awkward.

Laguna waved back just as uneasily before realizing he was standing in the doorway and preventing the door from closing. He stepped into the room, allowing the object to shut behind him. "I just thought I'd check up on you, that's all." He said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "So…" he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Came the automatic answer and Laguna had to resist the urge to laugh at the predictability in the answer.

"From what I've heard from the others, you always say that; even when nothing's 'fine'. But I won't press you if you don't want to talk about it." Laguna said, catching the annoyed expression passing across the teenager's features. "I also wanted to let you know that I've sent an escort to bring Elle back to Esthar. They should be leaving as we speak."

Squall nodded once Laguna had finished speaking before an awkward silence filled the room once again, only for Squall to disrupt it again. "Thank you."

"It's not a problem. Really." Laguna said, scratching the back of his head uneasily. He felt the stirrings of a leg cramp, but shook it off, trying not to ruin the moment. "Well, that's really all I came here for, so I'll just be going."

He turned to leave, but something compelled him to say something else and he turned slowly back around, seeing his only son watching him, his expression unreadable. Knowing he was probably going to regret this, he took another deep breath before releasing it slowly and speaking once again. "You know, a lot has happened today and it's had me thinking about a lot of things. Specifically my life before Esthar. I know it's not much, but I just thought I'd let you know that, well, if there's anything at all you want to talk about, even though you have the others to confide in, I'm always willing to listen. I wasn't there when you were younger and I'm not making any excuses, but I want to be there now, even if it is beyond reach of a ten-foot pole."

Silence greeted him; he hadn't really expected any kind of response, so he figured he'd just cut his losses and get back to work. Just as he was leaving however, Squall's voice stopped him. "Laguna?"

Hr turned back around and could see that the SeeD was struggling; that he had something he wanted to say, but he was trying to find the words to express it properly. It was something Laguna rarely ever did in his life, and he always made things come out worse than he'd originally intended. The teenager's eyes were closed thoughtfully and Laguna sincerely wanted to hear him out, even if it came out sounding like an insult he had said he wanted to be around when he needed to talk, even if it only was just for him to listen. Though he'd always had trouble with that aspect of human nature, he was willing to make the attempt.

Finally, Squall appeared to have composed himself and he opened his eyes, ready to speak again. "Father, I think we do need to talk."

He felt elated to hear those words and, he moved back into the room, the door closing once again as Squall made room for him on the bed, Laguna sitting down on top of the surface and, for the first time, giving his family his undivided attention. "Well then, let's talk."

---------------------------

_**The time is now 2 am**_

---------------------------

_I definitely liked the ending of this chapter - it wasn't one of the parts that I'd had planned since the beginning of the story, but unlike a lot of other sentimental scenes I've written in the past this one actually came to me pretty naturally. _

_So there you have it; Day of Disaster is officially completed! I hope you all enjoyed it, despite the numerous inconsistencies, but hey; no one is perfect, though I have to admit that this was my best attempt at a Final Fantasy VIII fanfiction in real-time._

_That being said, the sequel will be outside of real time, simply because there are still a lot of things I need to learn before I attempt this again. While it was a learning experience and really fun to do, what I have planned next is so complexed that I'm positive that it won't fit in the span of a day's time. So with that said, expect lots of cliffhangers and jumps in time._

_But before I begin working on the sequel - which is currently untitled - I will be focussing most of my attention towards my other stories. With Day of Disaster completed, I don't need to worry about updating anymore, but I'd still like to hear what you think. _


End file.
